The International Institute of Social History (IISH) is directing a workshop on the project "A Social History of Labour in the Iranian Oil Industry, 1908-2008." The workshop will take place in Amsterdam on 12th and 13th December, 2008. The deadline for receipt of abstracts is 15th October, 2008 and the organising committee aims to finalise the workshop programme and notify abstract-senders by 31st October, 2008. The IISH will cover the cost of travel and accommodation expenses for those who present papers in the workshop.

This project, which is in the preliminary stages of background research and planning, has been inspired by a major programme on Global Labour History at the IISH, and the associated discourse that has been developed by debates over the past few years. Evidently, over the past three decades, the monopoly of European and North-American labour historiography has been challenged by the growth of studies on labour history in Africa, Asia and Latin America. However, developments in this terrain have been very slow concerning the Middle East in general and Iran in particular. This project seeks to fill this critical gap.

By exploring themes related to the formation and development of working class within the Iranian oil industry; this workshop aims to investigate three thematic strands. First, it seeks to discuss intensively relevant methodological and conceptual underpinnings as well as historical perspectives as an area of enquiry in constructing a social history of labour in the Iranian oil industry. Second, it intends to examine, interpret and analyse primary sources as well as the context in which these sources were generated. Third, it attempts to map as many relevant connections and relationships as possible and to place the case of Iran in a comparative framework, leading to the formulation of a well-reasoned set of arguments about the historical process of Global Labour History.

Abstracts should be sent as PDF or MS Word documents and should include full contact information and a brief academic biography.