call for papers/a seminar on history of ideas in Helsinki (20-22.08.08)

[Alexandra Smith]

Call for Papers

SEMINAR – WORKSHOP

EASTERN MANIFESTATIONS OF WESTERN IDEAS  OR VICE VERSA?
The Case of Russia and the Balkans

Time and venue: August 20-22, 2008, University of Helsinki
Organiser: Research projects "Cultural Europe beyond the EU" and "Eastern
Manifestations of Western Ideas" (University of Helsinki; Network for
European Studies)

The theme of the seminar/workshop aspires to embrace the wide variety within
Russian and Balkan studies and welcomes all scholars in these areas of
research to participate in this multidisciplinary seminar. Doctoral
students, in particular,  and other scholars of cultural studies,
literature, language, history, religion, social and political sciences or
related fields are encouraged to present their papers in the workshop. The
seminar language is English.

Our plenary speakers – renowned academics from Europe and the USA – have
been chosen to bring into play a range of possible approaches to the topic.
They are:

Prof. Ronelle Alexander (University of California, Berkeley)
Prof. Ranko Bugarski (Belgrade University)
Prof. Damir Kalogjera (Zagreb University)
Prof. Nicole Lindstrom (York University, UK)
Prof. Dan Ungurianu (Vassar College)
Prof. Andrew B. Wachtel (Northwestern University)

The plenary speakers of the seminar will also participate in the workshop as
discussants for papers presented by doctoral students.

The seminar is devoted to the study of the reception and adoption of
“western” ideas and phenomena perceived as "western" in Russia and in South-
East Europe. It will promote interdisciplinary research on cultural history
and history of thought, and it aims to encourage an interest in the cultural
dimensions and historical contexts of the processes of transformation
concerning cultural influences. One focus of the seminar is on the
theoretical approaches to investigate the processes of transformation of
ideas and their cultural translation.

Possible themes for papers may address, for example, the following
issues:


•        Phenomena related to cultural or historical periods
(Humanism,

Renaissance, Baroque, Enlightenment, Romanticism, Realism etc.), or
the

specific features of these periods in different areas.
•        Paradigmatic and stereotypic issues, such as in which
directions

individual ideas have spread, how long is the time span between the

“original” idea and its “second appearance”, and what is the effect of
the

possible temporal delay.
•        Role of particular (historical) figures in spreading ideas between
the
West and the East.

•        Mechanisms of the process how the “alien” is made an integral part
of the “own” culture.

•        The justification of the opposition “East vs. West” as such may be
questioned and its use in political and cultural debates.
•        We encourage participants to address also the theoretical and
methodological
approaches to cultural transformation they use in their
studies.

Deadline for abstracts: April 30, 2008. Abstracts (one page) should be
submitted electronically to juhani.nuorluoto at helsinki.fi or
maija.kononen at helsinki.fi. The participants will be informed about the
programme, as well as about the practicalities of the workshop by May 15.

There will be no registration fee.

The doctoral students wishing to participate in the workshop should consult
their corresponding departments to find out how the participation could be
credited in their doctoral studies.

The organisers are planning a publication based on the presentations in the
seminar.

We hope that our seminar/workshop will provide a platform for scholars and
doctoral students to meet and discuss their research. Please feel free to
forward this Call for Papers to interested colleagues. Do not hesitate to
contact the organisers for further information.



Juhani Nuorluoto
Maija Könönen
juhani.nuorluoto at helsinki.fi
maija.kononen at helsinki.fi





--------------------------------
Alexandra Smith (PhD, University of London)
Lecturer in Russian
School of European Languages and Cultures
The University of Edinburgh
David Hume Tower
George Square
Edinburgh EX8 9JX
UK

tel. +44-(0)131-6511381
fax: +44- (0)131- 650-3604
e-mail: Alexandra.Smith at ed.ac.uk





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