I am seeking two paper presenters, a chair, and a commentator for a panel tentatively titled “Rethinking Poverty: Welfare Policy in Historical and International Perspective.” Drawing on a range of contexts, this panel would explore and compare both the experience of poverty and the cultural and political arenas in which policies directed toward the poor have been developed since the 19th century. Especially welcome are co-panelists who address the experience and political context of poverty from an international perspective, as well as papers that explore previously under-studied issues and groups in the United States and abroad. My paper examines the racial dynamics of family welfare policy in New York City in the early 20th century, focusing both on the experiences of poor African American children and their families within New York’s early child welfare system, and on the intersection of racial anxieties and the transformation of child placement policy between 1900-1930.

If interested, please e-mail me with a 1 page abstract and 2 page c.v. by February 5th, 2002, or contact me immediately with further questions.