2nd CfP: Demoting the Agent: Passive and other Voice-related phenomena

[Torgrim Solstad]

** Apologies for multiple postings **

Demoting the Agent: Passive and other Voice-related phenomena

2nd Call for Papers

Workshop at the University of Oslo
November 25-27, 2004


Invited Speakers

Elisabet Engdahl, Gothenburg University
Suzanne Kemmer, Rice University
Anneliese Pitz, University of Oslo
Sten Vikner, University of Aarhus

The passive has constituted an important area of research in modern
linguistics since the introduction of transformational grammar. Though
there is little controversy of what constitutes the relevant data,
several quite different perspectives on passive constructions have
been developed.  Whereas formal syntacticians and semanticist have
focused on the contrast in argument structure concerning the
active-passive diathesis, functionalist approaches have mostly dealt
with differences in discourse participant prominence and other
distinctions related to what one might term as information structure.

There has also been an increasing interest in more typologically
diverse data which has lead to research in other voice-related
phenomena such as medium constructions and antipassives. No general
agreement has been reached on the treatment of any of these phenomena,
either.

This workshop aims at bringing together researchers representing
different perspectives on passives and other voice-related
phenomena. Unifying theoretical approaches will be especially
appreciated. Some of the diversity in the research in the field can be
seen as related to, but not limited to the following:

- formal linguistic perspectives
- functional linguistic perspectives
- syntax-semantics: compositionality
- pragmatics: non-explicitness concerning agentivity
- information structure

We want to encourage multi-language perspectives, especially those
contrasting two or more languages. Papers dealing with data from
parallel corpora are welcome.

Partial reimbursement may be possible for those speakers who cannot
attend the workshop otherwise.


Submission Procedure

All authors should submit an anonymous abstract. The length of
abstracts for talks should be at most 2 single-column pages, including
examples and references. All submissions should also include a
separate cover page specifying the author's name, affiliation,
address, and e-mail address and title of the paper.

The abstracts should be submitted electronically in one of the
following formats: Word/RTF, ASCII, Postscript or PDF. They should be
sent to the following e-mail-address:

torgrim.solstad at german.uio.no

All submitted papers that are received in time will be refereed by the
programme committee and may be accepted for full presentation (45 min
+ 15 min for discussion) at the workshop and publication in the
pre-workshop proceedings, or for a poster presentation.


Important Dates

Abstracts due: May 15
Acceptance notice: June 15
Final versions due for proceedings: October 15
Workshop dates: November 25-27


Programme committee

Elisabet Engdahl, Benjamin Lyngfelt, Anneliese Pitz, Torgrim Solstad,
Kjell Johan Saeboe


Organisation

The workshop is organised by Benjamin Lyngfelt, Gothenburg University and
Torgrim Solstad, University of Oslo


Funding: Research project "Languages in contrast"

Torgrim Solstad,
Department of Germanic Studies,
University of Oslo,
PO Box 1004 Blindern,
NO-0315 OSLO,
NORWAY

Tel: +47 22 85 48 89
Fax: +47 22 85 68 87