The 44th Annual International Conference of the American Studies Association of Korea
October 23-24, 2009
Seoul, Korea

Since the end of the so-called American century, we have witnessed the United States of America go through many drastic changes in less than a decade. To name four events amongst many moments of departure from the previous political order and cultural climate, we can identify the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the midterm elections of 2006, the financial crisis of 2008, and the presidential election in 2008. The first of these radically altered not only the direction of U.S. domestic and foreign policies, but also the shape of everyday lives of ordinary Americans; the last both reflects and promotes a dramatic shift in conceptualizations of belonging, citizenship, and national identity that simultaneously point towards a different future for America as well as a return to the earliest promises of America. Thus, the American Studies Association of Korea seeks to engage in a dialogue about the futures of America by revisiting and reexamining the past and present of America, and by discussing the significance, implications, and ramifications of the links and disruptions between past, present and futures and their representations.

The 2009 ASAK International Conference Organizing Committee invites papers that explore these links and disruptions from interested colleagues in American Studies and all related disciplines, including (but not limited to) politics, history, sociology, anthropology, economics, philosophy, literary studies, cinema studies, media studies, and cultural studies. As our emphasis on the plural, “futures,” in this year’s theme “The Futures of America” indicates, participants are welcome to define “future” using any reference system as well as from any historical point, and are also encouraged to engage diverse possible futures. Papers with interdisciplinary approaches, such as transnational, comparative, diasporic, hemispheric, planetary and so forth, will be especially welcomed.

Please submit a 500-word proposal and your curriculum vitae by April 10th, 2009, to the Organizing Committee at: asakorea@gmail.com.

The Committee will evaluate all submissions carefully and organize individual papers into thematic sessions, and will respond by May 18th, 2009, by email. ASAK will provide accommodations and waive the registration fee for all international participants traveling to Korea to attend the conference.