CFP: Contributors are invited for the volume New Directions

Call for papers: contributors are invited for the volume New Directions
in Travel Writing and Travel Studies – Carmen Andras, editor 

Travel studies have recently gained an important place among academic fields owing to
their inter- and trans-disciplinary character. Contributions are invited to Carmen Andras at mailto:carmen_andras@yahoo.com on the subject of travel from the perspectives of history, literature, geography, imagology, cartography, anthropology, sociology, political sciences, or other related domains of research. Culture is in a great measure a history of travel and migration, including their integration in new topographies such journeys, exodus, nomadism, pilgrimage, (e/im)migration, exploration, dislocations of the labour force, etc., and the reading or writing about these experiences. Conceived in a broad sense, the idea of travel can also refer to the circulation and reception of books, documents, ideas, cultural influences, translations, etc. Other themes of interest include new directions and theory of travel writing and travel studies, histories of travel and the travel of histories, spaces of intercultural and international communication and conflicts of interests, maps of travel and the travel of maps, travel-knowledge-power, and discourses of identities and/or difference. Papers should be 6000-7000 words and in the MLA style of parenthetical sources and a works cited (but no footnotes or end notes).

The volume is to be published in the Shaker publisher monography series of Books in Comparative Culture, Media, and Communication Studies http://www.shaker.eu/catalogue/booklist.asp?Reihe=451.

Dr. Carmen Andras
“Gheorghe Sincai” Institute for Social Sciences and the Humanities of
the Romanian Academy
Targu Mures
Romania
Email: carmen_andras@yahoo.com

Food Study Group: Food, Society & Public Health

Call for papers: British Sociological Association Food Study Group, “Food, Society and Public Health”, July 14-15, 2008, London

The conference will explore the interface between food, society and public health through a sociological lens. Practices and decisions involving food are not solely matters of individual behaviour or action and food and health therefore need to be considered within the context of families, communities, other social groups, and society at large.Does exploring food allow scholars to look beyond what is eaten to highlight fundamental differences between segments of society? Understanding differences in food consumption patterns could offer wider insights into, for example, social class, ethnicity, self-identity or the life course and the implications of these patterns for social and health inequalities. This conference will bring together researchers, practitioners and policy makers interested in addressing such questions.

The conference will allow for in-depth presentation and discussion of key topics along with shorter sessions for the presentation of emerging findings, work in progress and new research from postgraduate students.Liz Jackson, Events Officer
The British Sociological Association
Tel: +44 (0)191 383 0839
Fax: +44 (0)191 383 0782
Email: conference@britsoc.org.uk
Visit the website at http://www.britsoc.co.uk/events/food.htm

Freeman Japan Studies Workshop – Honolulu

FREEMAN INSTITUTE FOR INFUSING JAPAN STUDIES INTO THE UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM, HONOLULU, HAWAII    MAY 18 – JUNE 6, 2008
Application deadline:  February 1

The Japan Studies Association, with a generous grant from the Freeman Foundation, will conduct a 3 week intensive workshop on Japan for faculty and administrators from two and four-year colleges and universities. The workshop is for individuals who have little or no prior academic background on Japan and who wish to begin incorporating Japan Studies into their courses. The program is open to faculty in the humanities, social sciences, business or education. Administrators and librarians are also eligible to apply.

The workshop will cover a wide variety of topics relating to Japan, including history, politics, literature, business, and the arts. Its primary purpose is to introduce faculty and administrators into all aspects of Japanese society so that they can return to their institutions and begin incorporating Japan Studies into their courses.  It will have multiple instructors, primarily drawn from the University of Hawaii, but also including noted scholars from other universities.

The workshop will be held at Tokai University in Honolulu, Hawaii. Tokai is located about a ten- minute walk from Waikiki. Participants will be expected to arrive at Tokai on Sunday, May 18th by 6:00 PM for opening ceremonies. The obligatory closing banquet is Friday evening, June 6th. Participants must check out of Tokai by Saturday, June 7th, unless other arrangements are made with the Tokai staff. Due to the intensive nature of the program, participants are not allowed to bring spouses or domestic partners.

There will be only 20 participants selected for the Freeman Fellowships. Each participant will receive up to $600 to cover roundtrip airfare to Hawaii. Single rooms, some meals and a stipend will be provided.  Each college or university is required to pay a $500 Program Fee for its participant. This fee must be paid by May 1st.  Completed applications are due electronically by February 1st. Successful candidates will be notified by February 15th.   Application forms and a sample schedule may be found at the JSA website: http://www.japanstudies.org/freemaninfo.htm

If you have any questions address them to Dr. Joseph L. Overton, President of the JSA at: overton@hawaii.edu

A World of Labour: Transnational and Comparative Histories

CALL FOR PAPERS – A World of Labour: Transnational and Comparative Histories

An International Conference of the Society for the Study of Labour History – University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK, 1-3 Sept 2008

Recent years have seen historians moving beyond the nation-state as the principal unit of historical analysis. Contemporary globalisation has helped shape a growing interest in the history of world-wide networks of power, communication and social and economic formation. Within an English-speaking world, the repackaging of aspects of imperial history under the heading of the ‘British World’ has added further pressure for global, transnational and comparative histories. This conference aims to explore these issues, with a particular emphasis upon labour and working-class histories. The society wishes to encourage the widest possible definition of labour history and to embrace social, cultural, economic and political approaches to the past. Themes for consideration could include:

Transnational and global institutions
Internationalism in labour history
Formal and informal labour networks
Global examples of associational culture
Activities or campaigners operating in more than one national context
Social and culture rituals across territories
Strikes, violence, and resistance in comparative perspective
International markets and their effect on labour migration
Class, race, ethnicity and gender in transnational or comparative perspective
Transnationalism, globalisation and Diaspora as conceptual issues or problems
The strengths and weakness of comparative labour history

Confirmed keynotes:
Professor John Belchem (Liverpool)
Professor Stefan Berger (Manchester)
Professor Marcel van der Linden (Amsterdam)
Professor Melanie Nolan (Wellington, NZ)

We welcome proposals for individual papers of 20 minutes, or for panels of up to four papers of that length. Some financial assistance may be available to postgraduates travelling from other parts of the UK or Ireland. A selection of the papers may be published in the Society’s journal, Labour History Review.

Please email proposals (300 words maximum per paper) and brief CV (one page
maximum) to Professor Donald MacRaild d.macraild@ulster.ac.uk or Dr Charlotte Alston c.alston@ulster.ac.uk by 1 May 2008.

Transformations: Researching Asia

Call for Papers: TRANSFORMATIONS: RESEARCHING ASIA

York Centre for Asian Research Graduate Student Conference – York University, Toronto, Canada September 26 to 28, 2008

Call for Papers deadline: April 1, 2008

What does it mean to “research Asia”? Asian Studies is a growing field within and, we hope, beyond Area Studies.
Recent developments in Asian research reflect modern and contemporary events across a wide range of disciplines. As the body of research on Asia grows, questions concerning the production and mediation of ?Asia? become more pressing. The critical and fundamental questions ?What is Asia?? and “How to study Asia“? remain unresolved and contested. As a field, moreover, Asian Studies remains driven by disciplinary divides; interdisciplinary intersections remain disappointingly rare. With this conference we seek to address the epistemology and methodology of
researching Asia within and beyond the geographical and disciplinary constraints traditionally associated with Area Studies. We invite papers from graduate students engaged in interdisciplinary research in Asian Studies focusing on the modern and contemporary periods.

Possible paper topics could address (but are not limited to) these sub-themes:
Epistemology of Asian Studies
Methodology and Practices in Asian Studies
Orientalism & Re-Orientalism Knowledge/Power
Time and Temporality Modernity
North/South Divide Globalization
Race and Ethnicity Migration and Diaspora Race,
Gender, and Class Positioning and Subjectivity Body and Representation Sexuality
Media and Technology Environmental Challenges Art
Visual Culture Music and Performing Arts

Interested participants should submit a paper title, abstract (250 words maximum) and brief biographical information by April 1, 2008. Selected participants must submit completed papers by August 1, 2008. Inquiries and
email submissions can be sent to the conference organizers at: transformationsasiaconference@gmail.com. More information about the conference can be found on the conference website:
www.yorku.ca/ycar/Events/graduate_conference.html.

This Conference is hosted by the York Centre for Asian Research at York University. York University has a proud history as a leader in innovative and creative learning approaches with an emphasis on multidisciplinary research that covers wide geographical areas. This Conference reflects the strengths of York faculty and students in interdisciplinary approaches to research and learning. For more information about the Centre: please
visit: www.yorku.ca/ycar.

Sociology on Southeast Asia Societies

Call for Paper Presentations: The Sociology on Southeast Asian Societies: Economy, Culture and Social Transformation – 2008 Pacific Sociological Association Meeting, April 10-13, 2008, Marriott Hotel, Portland,Oregon, USA

The session organizer seeks presentations on social, economic, cultural and political issues affecting Southeast Asia communities in Southeast Asia and their global diaspora. All theoretical and empirical approaches including local case studies, regional comparisons, and transnational cases are welcome.

Please send presentation titles and abstracts of 200-250 words to pchua@sjsu.edu by October 15, 2007. Also state your home department and institutional affiliation in your proposal. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the session organizer:

Peter Chua, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, San Jose State University – San Jose, California 95192, USA

E-mail: pchua@sjsu.edu

For additional details about the 2008 Pacific Sociological Association meeting, see: http://www.pacificsoc.org/2006/06/2008_annual_mee.html