The deadline for abstract submission is November 27, 2000

European Identity and Nationalism

Call for Papers
Multi-Disciplinary Conference
11-13 May 2001
Sponsored by Comparative Literature Department, Political Science Department and The Center for Russian, Central and East European Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Brunswick, New Jersey

The unification of Germany and the nationalist tide that paralleled this historical change, the nationalist movement in Scotland that threatens to actualize the predicted break-up of Great Britain, the rise of the right in France, Belgium and Austria and a number of regionalist/nationalist movements across Europe challenge the idea that the national will give way to the supranational. Meanwhile, the recent collapse of communism has challenged the imaginary geography of "Europe" to include past and recent "others" (e.g., "the Balkans", the "Slavs", "the post-Soviets"), to confront the bankruptcy of state socialism and to make sense of the idiosyncratic cohabitation of post-modern and pre-modern world-views. Simultaneously, Europe is faced with new war fronts of nationalizing processes at its midst.

Consequently, the configuration of the new "European political identity" seems to be slipping away from the control of the European Union, as more voices - both within and outside the Union -- pronounce that Europe does not equate with the EU). Exploring European identity leads us into a more fluid and contested terrain that is at times bigger (narratives of expanding cosmopolitanism) and at times smaller (narratives of separatism manifested as aggressive nationalisms). This troublesome but also promising process of (re-)inventing Europe provides the opportunity to deepen our understanding of nationalism and its place in Europe, and to identify the dominant modes of recasting European identity vis-a-vis more particular identities (nationalism, regionalism, minorities). Simultaneously, we are challenged to re-conceptualize the representation of the European political identity and its actor/story-teller.

We invite graduate students to participate in this fully interdisciplinary conference, with organizers from five disciplines--history, anthropology, political science, literature, cultural studies-putting together the panels. The issues that will be addressed will include but not be limited to:

-Interplay of national and European identities at the threshold of the new millennium;
-Europe through the eyes of its minorities/immigrants;
-Politics of European representations;
-Imaging the European space from within and from without;
-Europe and imperialism;
-The political economy of nationalism;
-Nationalism and the imperial legacies in Europe;
-Nationalism and theories of modernity/post-modernity;
-Nationalism and race/gender/class/religion;
-National literatures/arts;
-Nationalism and violence/conflict;
-Nationalism and history/genealogy/mythology/memory;

We are also open to other topics as long as they address any aspect of the relationship between specific national identities and broadly defined "Europeanness".

Interdisciplinary and methodologically innovative approaches are strongly encouraged. The conference will comprise panel discussions and round tables. At the panel discussions, participants will present their own work and engage in debate. At the round table meetings, participants will explore a single piece of writing announced by the organizers in advance. The keynote speakers as well as round table discussions at the conference will be announced at a later stage. Please, visit our website periodically for updated information on the program, speakers, and schedule:

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~crcees/

The abstracts should be no longer than one page and can be mailed, faxed or sent via e-mail to:

CRCEES
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
172 College Avenue
New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901-8537, U.S.A.
Tel: (732) 932-8551
Fax: (732) 932-1144
Email: crcees@rci.rutgers.edu

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~crcees/