The American State-Private Network in the Cold War
Friday 27 and Saturday 28 June 2003
The University of Birmingham
United Kingdom

The conference will assess conceptions of the 'State-private network' with regard to US Foreign Policy during the Cold War era. In recent years, the study of US Foreign Policy has been greatly invigorated by the notion of the ‘State-private network’. Moving beyond the realpolitik presentation of the conflict as one developed and prosecuted by Presidents, statesmen, and generals as well as the ‘revisionist’ presentation of the conflict as one of State and corporate interests, the concept of the ‘network’ has led to interdisciplinary analysis of politics, history, culture, ideology, and society after 1945. This approach, occurring at a time when scholars are debating the future of ‘American Studies’, offers historical interpretations which are of contemporary relevance in the new conflicts of the 21st century.

It is notable that the development and discussion of the notion of a ‘State-private’ network has been led by scholars outside the United States, especially academics in the United Kingdom. Despite calls from specialists such as Michael Hogan, the practice of diplomatic history is still narrowly focused on the policymaking of Government officials. The so-called ‘cultural turn’ of the 1990s in the United States did not alter this basic approach but merely appended ‘culture’, especially the concept of official cultural diplomacy, to a standard narrative of Cold War strategy led by the President and an inner circle of advisors.

The concept of the ‘State-private network’ was not only an expansion of this narrative of diplomatic history but a challenge to its methodology and sources. Through consideration of policymaking and implementation within a broader ‘political culture’, scholars outside the United States could offer a critique of a Cold War historiography which had been defined by American specialists. Eventually, this critique has led to a Trans-Atlantic exchange between European and American academics, fostering interdisciplinary challenges in the United States to the discipline of ‘diplomatic history’.

The conference seeks to establish the comprehensive nature of the State-private network both through papers on specific areas of co-operation and on the overall strategy and aims of the network. Moreover, it seeks to move beyond simple conceptions of ‘hegemony’ and ‘autonomy’, offering examples of the negotiation and mobilisation of culture in the Cold War. This negotiation and mobilisation, far from being separate from domestic issues, is intertwined with issues such as race, class, gender, and ethnicity.

The Cold War has long been called a ‘total’ conflict between societies but, until recently, scholars have not evaluated the nature of that totality. This conference, through discussion and the exchange of ideas, will foster long-term interdisciplinary research broadening the scope and influence of ‘American Studies’.

Speakers include:

• Professor Scott Lucas, University of Birmingham
• Dr Tony Shaw, University of Hertfordshire
• Julia Angster, University of Tubingen
• Giles Scott Smith, Roosevelt Center, Middelburg, Holland
• Elke van Cassel, Roosevelt Center, Middelburg, Holland
• Karen Paget, independent scholar
• Dr Hugh Wilford, University of Sheffield
• Duco van Oostrum, University of Sheffield
• Dr Helen Laville, University of Birmingham
• Andrew Johnstone, University of Birmingham
• Inderjeet Parmar, Manchester University
• Axel Schafer, Keele University

Organisers:

• Dr Hugh Wilford, University of Sheffield
• Dr Helen Laville, University of Birmingham
• Andrew Johnstone, University of Birmingham

Conference begins Friday 27 June at 2.30pm.

Cost:
Conference registration fee: £60 (Includes three course Saturday lunch and refreshments)
Conference Dinner (Friday- optional): £16
Accommodation £40 per night (approx.)
Cheques payable to The University of Birmingham.

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