Upcoming conference: "Imagining Alternative Modernities"

SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS

ABSTRACT DEADLINE: MARCH 17
 
We are excited to announce the interdisciplinary conference, "Imagining Alternative Modernities: Interventions from the Balkans and South Asia", which will take place at The Ohio State University, Columbus, October 9-11, 2014. The conference completes and complements a series of interdisciplinary activities in 2013-14, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation through the John E. Sawyer Seminars on the Comparative Study of Cultures grant program. For more information on the seminar, please visit: sawyer.osu.edu.
 

Keynote Speakers:

Tomislav Longinović, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Kalyanakrishnan Sivaramakrishnan, Yale University
 

On the surface, the Balkans and South Asia might seem to have little in common. However, despite many specific differences, they share similar dilemmas of linguistic, religious, cultural, and ethno-national complexity, similar turbulent political developments associated with imperial, post-colonial, and Cold War legacies, and a similar diversity of responses to these historical and contemporary challenges. Both areas have seen a mixing of people through migratory settlement, conquest, contact, and trade. But both have also experienced periods of reaction to cultural hybridity: a radical unmixing of people through partition and population exchange. The impact of these upheavals is seen in the direct violence of war and devastation, but also through crises on the levels of language, religion, and other modes of culture and human creative activity. The unique yet similar issues within each region compel us
towards a comparative approach that will offer a transnational perspective on the intersection of language, religion, culture, and nationalism.

 
We thus invite proposals for paper presentations from any disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspective within the humanities and social sciences addressing one or more of the following themes in the Balkans or in South Asia, or comparatively between the two regions:


1.Violence, Gender, and Human Rights

2.Nation, Religion, Language, and Secularism

3. Minorities, State, Language, and Citizenship

4. Postcolonial and Postsocialist Perspectives on Neoliberalism
 

Additionally, selected papers will be included in a collection of essays resulting from the conference.

Graduate students are encouraged to participate. Limited funding is available for student lodging.

Please send a 350-word abstract in PDF format and brief (one paragraph maximum) bio to sawyerseminar@osu.edu by Monday March 17, 2014 (11:59pm).

Notifications of acceptance will be sent by May 1, 2014 and the program will be announced by June 1, 2014. 

CALL FOR PAPERS: STATE VS INDIVIDUAL MORALITY IN POST-SOCIALISM

Deadline 10 February 2014

About STSS (www.tlu.ee/stss)

STSS is fast-growing open-access interdisciplinary journal for the study of transition societies. Created in 2009, it has been indexed by SCOPUS in 2012 and we are currently in Q3 (3rd quartile), ranking 320 out of 552 journals included in sociology and political science. Given that we are an independent journal created only four years ago we believe this is already a good result and we are confident we can improve our ranking quickly in the next few years. Please check our articles if you want to be convinced of our potential. Our primary focus is post-socialist countries of Eastern Europe and the former USSR, although we are open to contributions focusing on any other world region.

We are a bi-annual publication of the Institute of Political Science and Governance and the Institute of International and Social Studies of Tallinn University and it is indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), EBSCO, ProQuest, and the International Political Science Abstracts (IPSA). All our articles are available for free through the Central European Online Library and our website www.tlu.ee/stss that you are welcome to visit if you want to learn more about us. In addition to the targeted call given below, we welcome articles all year round.

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We are looking for 1-2 more papers on the topic: STATE VS INDIVIDUAL MORALITY IN POST-SOCIALISM.

Over the past decade we have witnessed a tendency to critically look at the way state morality, laws and rules are constructed. Following the appearance of Gibson-Graham's seminal work (1996), the term diverse economies has come to populate a growing number of scholarly works across a wide range of disciplines. As part of this scholarship alternative narratives to capitalism have been explored and neoliberalism has been criticised. Based on the Bourdieaun remark that individual and state moralities do not necessarily overlap, a number of empirical works (Polese 2008; Rasanayagam 2011; Wanner 2005) have shown the limits of the corrupt-non-corrupt distinction. This, in turn, has highlighted the potential conflict between what is legal (with a definition of legality provided by the state) and what is socially acceptable by the citizens
themselves (van Schendel & Abrahams 2005). This has led to the understanding that what a society, or a group of individuals, is ready to accept and justify is not necessarily what the state official narrative (based on laws and rules) would accept.

We welcome empirically-rich accounts, constructed on recent and/or ongoing research, that broadly deal with the topic suggested above.

The deadline for the 2014 Spring issue is 10 February 2014. However, potential contributors are welcome to contact us at an early stage to discuss an idea you might want to develop or have developed. Please visit the webpage www.tlu.ee/stss for further information on submission guidelines or contact stss@tlu.ee (also if you would like to discuss a proposal).


Suggested preliminary literature

Gibson-Graham, J.K. (1996). The End Of Capitalism (As We Knew It): A Feminist Critique of Political Economy. Oxford UK and Cambridge USA: Blackwell Publishers.

Polese, A. (2008). "If I Receive it, it is a Gift; if I Demand it, then it is a Bribe" on the Local Meaning of Economic Transactions in Post-soviet Ukraine. Anthropology in Action, 15(3), 47-60.

Rasanayagam, J. (2011). Informal Economy in an Informal State in Surviving Post-Socialism. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy,15(11/12), 681-696.

van Schendel, W. & I. Abraham (Eds.) (2005). Illicit Flows and Criminal Things: States, Borders, and the Other Side of Globalization. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Wanner, C. (2005). Money, Morality and New Forms of Exchange in Postsocialist Ukraine. Ethnos 70(4), 515-537.

suvremene TEME / CONTEMPORARY issues

Suvremene teme / Contemporary Issues is a peer-reviewed online journal of the Political Science Research Centre (Zagreb), with a focus on Southeastern Europe. It publishes research in Croatian and English in the areas of political science, sociology, contemporary history, philosophy, law and economics.

2013 Summer School in Comparative Conflict Studies

Call for Applications

The Center for Comparative Conflict Studies (CFCCS) at the Faculty of Media and Communications (FMK), Singidunum University invites you to apply for the forth Summer School in Comparative Conflict Studies. The 2013 Summer School will take place at the Faculty of Media and Communications in Belgrade, from July 1-8, 2013.

We are now receiving applications for the following four courses to choose from:

1. The Politics of Land and Identity: States and Minorities in Conflict

Prof. Oren Yiftachel (Ben-Gurion University, Israel)

2. International Intervention in a Globalised World

Dr. Maxine David (University of Surrey, UK) 

3. The Role of Social Memory Studies in Conflict Analysis and Transformation
Dr. Orli Fridman (Faculty of Media & Communications (FMK) & SIT study Abroad, Serbia)

4. From the discourse of brotherhood and unity to the discourses of EU integration: the case of "transition" in Serbia

Dr. Jelisaveta Blagojević (Faculty of Media & Communications (FMK), Serbia)

**Language instruction in all courses is English**

We invite graduate students, advanced undergraduate students, NGO leaders and civil society activists from all countries to apply.

Reduced tuition is available for applicants from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. This reduced tuition is also available for students from other conflict or post-conflict regions.

A limited number of travel and accommodation scholarships may be available for applicants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. 

Deadline to submit applications: May 13, 2013 

Application form and cost information are available on our website and Facebook page.

FOR MORE DETAILS please visit www.cfccs.org
Visit our FACEBOOK Page
Check out our MA program in Politics and Conflict Studies

International Journal of Balkan Policy Research

The new International Journal of Balkan Policy Research (IJBPR) is a double-blinded peer-reviewed Journal published by Universum University College in Kosovo with the financial support of the US Embassy in Kosovo and the US State Department.

It is edited by an International Editorial Board (please see below) which consists of prominent Academics, Scholars and Practitioners from the field and led by the Editor-in-Chief Dr. Adrian Treacher from the University of Sussex in the UK.

IJBPR is a gateway to key policy research on the Western Balkan region and individual countries. Of interest to policy-makers, scholars, and readers of Western Balkan affairs, it aims to address theoretically-informed and empirically-tested economic, legal and political issues which directly shape policy and attitudes in the region.

The review process ensures that the academic quality of the published articles is approved by experienced scholars/practitioners from the relevant field.

Call for Papers

With the purpose to promote comprehensive research and policy options in the Western Balkans, IJBPR invites scholars, researchers, public policy practitioners, and graduate students at advanced stages of research, to submit papers to be published in the first issue of the Journal in November 2011 or in subsequent issues.

Deadline for submission of Abstract Proposals: July 15, 2011
Deadline for submission of Full Paper: September 15, 2011
All contributions together with a short biography of the author(s) should be sent by email to editor@balkanpolicyjournal.net.

Guidelines for Authors

Articles submitted to IJBPR should be double-spaced, be in Times New Roman 12-point font and have a margin of 1.5 inch on both sides. The numbering of pages, tables and figures is required. Tables and figures, besides being set in the text, should be provided separately to the Editor. Every table and/or figure should have a title or header, as to show its function within the article's context.

Articles should also have a title as well as the author(s) name(s), affiliation(s) and highest academic qualification where applicable. In addition, an abstract of up to 200 words should be submitted. The name(s) and other details of the author(s) will be deleted by the Editor, prior to the paper being sent for peer-review.

Referencing system: the IJBPR recommends and encourages that its authors use the University of Chicago Style B system of referencing. For more information on citations click here.

Editorial Team
Editor in-chief:
Dr. Adrian Treacher, University of Sussex, UK

Managing Editor:
Alejtin Berisha, Universum University College, Kosovo

Editorial Board:
Prof. Franz-Lothar Altmann, State University of Bucharest, Romania

Prof. Edna Andrews, Duke University, USA

Prof. Margaret Beissinger, Princeton University, USA

Kujtese Bejtullahu-Michalopoulos, Graduate Institute, Geneva, Switzerland

Prof. Horst Brezinski, University of Freiberg, Germany

Prof. David Chandler, University of Westminster, UK

Prof. Lenard Cohen, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Prof. Rory Conces, University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA

Prof. László Csaba, CEU and Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary

Dr. Anna Di Lellio, New School University, USA

Prof. Donald Dyers, University of Mississippi, USA

Dr. Arolda Elbasani, Wissenschaftszentrum fur Sozialforschung, Germany

Dr. Adam Fagan, Queen Mary, University of London, UK

Prof. Kevin Featherstone, London School of Economics, UK

Prof. Danica Fink Hafner, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Prof. Tom Gallagher, formerly with the University of Bradford, UK

Dr. Josip Glaurdic, University of Cambridge, UK

Dr. Eric Gordy, SSEES UCL, UK

Dr. Bersant Hobdari, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark

Prof. Leslie Holmes, University of Melbourne, Australia

Dr. Soeren Keil, University of Kent, UK

Dr. James Korovilas, University of the West of England, UK

Prof. Satoshi Mizobata, University of Kyoto, Japan

Dr. Klejda Mulaj, University of Exeter, UK

Prof. Neill Nugent, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK and College of Europe, Belgium

Dr. Dimitris Papadimitriou, University of Manchester, UK

Prof. Slavo Radosevic, SSEES, UCL, UK

Prof. Xavier Richet, University Sorbonne Nouvelle, France & CEFC-CNRS, Hong Kong

Prof. Marcello Signorelli, University of Perugia, Italy

Call for papers: Studies of Transition States and Societies

Posted on behalf of Raivo Vetik, Editor-in-Chief

Studies of Transition States and Societies (STSS) a biannual peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal issued since Fall 2009, available at www.tlu.ee/stss

Type of publication: print and online

Publication date: June, 2011

Submission deadline: E-mail the articles to stss@tlu.ee by 31st of March, 2011. Articles arriving later will be considered for the Fall issue.

Published/Edited by: Tallinn University Institute of Political Science and Governance and the Institute of International and Social Studies, Estonia

STSS welcomes articles, research notes, book reviews and review articles in all subfields of sociology and political science, to promote dialogue and exchange between scholars in these fields. The journal's substantive focus is on the transitional states and societies, particularly on the societal and political changes in postcommunist countries.

The journal only publishes articles written in English. The expected length of the manuscripts is from 2 000 to10 000 words depending on the type of paper. All documents must be accompanied by a title page stating key facts about the author(s). Please see Guidelines for the Authors available at www.tlu.ee/stss for more detailed information on submission.

We also welcome expressions of interest to become a reviewer for the journal. Please send your CV with publications to stss@tlu.ee.

Call for Papers: Continuity and Change in Southeastern Europe

Posted on behalf of
Ilyana Sawka
Program Coordinator
Kokkalis Program on Southeastern & East-Central Europe

A Harvard University conference – February 4, 2011

The Kokkalis Program on Southeastern and East-Central Europe, John F. Kennedy School of Government, and the Southeastern Europe Study Group, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University, invite scholars, researchers, university faculty, public policy practitioners, and graduate students at advanced stages of research to submit 500-word proposals for papers to be delivered at the symposium “Continuity and Change in Southeastern Europe” on February 4, 2011, at Harvard University.



Deadline for submission: November 15, 2010. Proposals should be submitted along with a recent CV to Andrew Hall at Andrew_Hall@hks.harvard.edu. Small stipends for travel and accommodation will be available for selected participants.



Proposals must fall into one of the below thematic units:



I) Institutional Legacies: Tracing Historical Continuities

Over the last century and a half, Southeastern Europe has been marked by a large number of critical junctures: from the collapse of multinational empires to the long period of wars form 1912-18 and World War II to the emergence of Communist states and their collapse. These monumental changes often disguise lines of continuity, especially in regard to institutions. This panel will bring together papers that help understand how and why institutional continuities and legacies persist over time. Avoiding historical determinism, the papers will shed light on particular paths institutional developments have taken and how this helps understand Southeastern Europe today. From ethnographic micro-cases to larger comparative studies, papers representing a variety of disciplines and approaches are welcome.

Chair: Dr. Florian Bieber, Editor-in-Chief, Nationalities Papers



II) Domestic-International Relationships in Political Reform in Southeastern Europe

What do case studies of political reform in post-socialist Southeastern Europe tell us about the conditions under which international actors can work together with domestic actors to develop institutions that are responsive to and valued by ordinary citizens? How have domestic actors in Southeastern Europe been able to incorporate domestic values and traditions into new institutions in the face of pressure to adopt Western models? Under what conditions are international actors who promote reform sensitive to local knowledge? This panel seeks to learn from case studies of reform that are considered unsuccessful, as well as those considered successful. Papers will increase our understanding of the processes and outcomes of political reform viewed as valuable by Southeastern European peoples through investigations of case studies that cover various Southeast European countries and issue areas.

Chair: Dr. Paula Pickering, Associate Professor, Department of Government, College of William and Mary



III) Gender, Nation and Globalization

The last two decades have been a time of tremendous upheaval for the nations of Southeastern Europe, which have variously weathered the storms of sudden economic change, political disintegration, social instability, increasing crime and corruption, massive out migration, violence, and war. Most recently, the region has been wracked with the economic turmoil of the global financial crisis and individual men and women are facing the ever-growing hardships of recession and IMF-imposed structural adjustment. Throughout these twenty years, idealized notions of masculinity and femininity have shifted and been reimagined to take account of the local realities in an era of globalization. In some cases, traditional gender norms and expectations have been subverted and/or overthrown altogether, with both men and women gaining from an increase of possible gender subjectivities. In other cases, traditional roles for what makes a “real man” or a “good woman” have reasserted themselves with newfound force, finding allies in new or old religious movements and nationalist political rhetorics. This panel aims to explore the continuities and changes in gender norms and gender politics in Southeastern Europe, and welcomes all papers that explore these dynamics with an eye to seeing the complex interactions between local and global forces.

Chair: Dr. Kristen Ghodsee, Associate Professor of Gender and Women's Studies, Bowdoin College



Areas of focus: Albania § Bosnia-Herzegovina § Bulgaria § Croatia § Cyprus § F.Y.R. of Macedonia § Greece § Hungary § Kosovo § Moldova § Montenegro § Romania § Serbia § Slovenia § Turkey

For more information on the Kokkalis Program, visit:
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/kokkalis

Dobrogea, Добруджа

The new (76th) volume of the series SÜDOSTEUROPA-STUDIEN edited by Gernot Erler is devoted to the multifaceted discussion of this region on the Black Sea coast divided between Romania and Bulgaria and currently united within the European Union.

HELLER, Wilfried; SALLANZ, Josef (Hrsg.): Die Dobrudscha. Ein neuer Grenzraum der Europäischen Union: Sozioökonomische, ethnische, politisch-geographische und ökologische Probleme. München - Berlin, Verlag Otto Sagner, 2009. ISBN 978-3-86688-068-9.

The Revolutions of 1989

The international conference Die Revolutionen von 1989, organized by the Austrian Academy of Sciences, will take place in Vienna on 1-3 October 2009.

Panel 3 (1 October 2009, 4:30-6:30 pm) contains presentations on Southeastern Europe by Vesna Pešić, a Serbian politician, one of the leaders of the opposition movement in Serbia (on Yugoslavia), Ulf Brunnbauer, a historian from the University of Regensburg (on Bulgaria) and Anneli Ute Gabanyi, a political scientist from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin (on Romania).

Crossing Borders

Source: http://www.ingentaconnect.com

Radu, Cosmin. Border tricksters and the predatory state: Contraband at the Romania-Serbia border during the Yugoslavian embargoes. Focaal, 2009, Number 54, 49-63.


Abstract: This article analyzes actions of the Romanian state officials and the Romania-Serbia border region people during the embargoes imposed on Yugoslavia in the 1990s. It shows that the embargo-related contraband trade with its diverse layers and actors is an excellent window for studying state formations. Getting involved in both big contraband and the criminalization of smugglers, different state factions developed specific logics of privatization, transnationalization, and interstitial relations. These developments were connected to both the fantasies of accumulation in the context of embargo and Romanian European Union accession. The article also suggests how to understand continuities between the embargorelated and present state formations. Looking at the interplays among border posts, state officials, and the EU, it shows that the border posts are increasingly dislocated from the state and that they seem to become interstitial parts of a post-state field of power.