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The New England American Studies Association invites submissions of papers and panels on topics, both historic and contemporary, related to “The Post-American City.” Our conference (Oct. 16-18, 2009) site in Lowell, Massachusetts, looks back to colonial and early national interactions of an emerging Atlantic World, and to the economic and cultural shifts of the Industrial Revolution. At the same time, our call directs us forward, to the urbanizing and globalizing forces that have brought 21st century immigrants and refugees to Lowell and other cities. This sweeping transnational topic signals our desire to bring together academics from a range of disciplines, including history, literature, economics, political science, environmental studies, urban planning, law, and film and visual cultural studies, as well as community organizers, artists, architects, teachers and policy makers.
Though our conference title makes reference to Fareed Zakaria’s The Post-American World, we hope that Zakaria’s argument that the “rise of the rest” has left the United States less dominant provokes dialogue rather than agreement. At the same time, we are particularly interested in proposals which connect American urban lives, cultures, economies, policies, and spaces to the rest of the world, and consider the city, past and present, in terms of immigration, globalization, and cosmopolitanism.
Proposals should include a one page abstract with title, as well as the author’s name, address, and institutional or professional affiliation. For panel proposals please include contact information for all participants, as well as a brief (no more than two page) description of the session. Submit proposals by March 31, 2009 to neasacouncil@gmail.com
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