and Balkan Europe
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Call for Papers - "Radical Left Wing Movements in the Baltic Sea Region and Eastern Europe"
Conference venue: Södertörn University, Stockholm, Sweden
Period: January 24-26, 2014
Deadline for submitting abstracts: August 27, 2013
Description of the Conference
Södertörn University launched a call for papersfor its January 2014 Conference “Radical Left Wing Movements in the Baltic Sea Region and Eastern Europe. The aim of the conference is to contribute to research on radical left wing movements in the Baltic region and Eastern Europe, by establishing contact between researchers studying these movements/activist environments. Sociologists, historians, political scientists, anthropologists, and scholars within other relevant academic disciplines with an interest in the field are invited to submit papers of original research.
The aim of the conference is to publish a collection of the conference papers in an edited volume in English and/or a special issue of an international peer-reviewed journal.
Eligible topics for the conference
The conference welcomes analysis of:
- The political role of radical left groups: their interplay with new social movements and more institutionalized actors on the left (such aspolitical parties and trade unions), as well as their direct or indirect impacton general public debate, agenda setting and decision-making (including the state's use of counter-measures against these groups).
- The impact of differences in Political Opportunity Structures, national historical experiences, and protest cultures between countries and regions on the development of the radical left in these countries.
- The role of specific ideas of democracy and political change for radical left groups' and activists' political visions/goals as well as movement-internal practices/repertoires of action. The uses of culture and media in radical left groups, including the impact of/on subcultures, music, alternative media, social media, etc.
- The social movement organizations, networks and activists of the radical left in the countries of the Baltic region (i.e., the countries bordering the Baltic Sea), but also more broadly in the countries of Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.
- The radical left in contemporary perspective, and/or with a focus on the developments of this political context during the last decades (especially since the decisive years of 1968 and 1989).
Comparative research on these matters are also welcome.
Speakers
- Donatella della Porta, professor of political science, European University Institute, Florence, Italy, a distinguished international scholar within the field of social movement studies who has written extensively on social movements and their interplay with political actors and systems, protest policing, etc.
- Luke March, PhD in Russian and East European Studies, and Deputy Director of the Princess Dashkova Russia Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, an international scholar who in 2011 published a book with Routledge on radical left parties in Europe, and is active in the research fields of Post-Soviet politics, radical left parties and populism.
Guidelines for submission
Scholars are invited to submit their abstracts by the 27th of August 2013 (final deadline). The abstract should be 1–2 pages, and describe the research question, main theories used (with reference to the relevant literature), and the empirical base of the paper. Applicants should provide information about their general research interests within this field, as well as relevant earlier publications. Accepted papers must be submitted at least 3 weeks before the conference (deadline: 3rd of January 2014). Each presenter is expected to comment on another participants' papers. Conference organizers will inform participants of which paper they will be commenting on in advance.
The conference has some capacity for attendees as well. Attending the conference is free, but as a result of limited capacity a registration of interest must be submitted by the 25th of October 2013. Attendees are also encouraged to actively take part in the discussion and must apply by sending a short description of their research interests and their earlier research within the field.
Costs
Presenters of papers and attendees can attend the conference for free. All those presenting paper from outside the Stockholm region will also be reimbursed for travel and accommodation expenses.
Organizers
- The conference organizers – Magnus Wennerhag, Christian Fröhlich, Grzegorz Piotrowski and Adrienne Sörbom – are part of the research project "Anarchists in Eastern and Western Europe – a Comparative Study". The project is based at Södertörn University and funded by The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies, Sweden.
- The conference is funded by the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES), the multidisciplinary research centre focusing on the Baltic Sea region and Eastern Europe at Södertörn University.
Information & contacts
Radical Left Wing Movements in the Baltic Sea Region and Eastern Europe Conference
e-mail: radical_left_conference2014@sh.se
Conference Website
PECOB: Portal on Central Eastern and Balkan Europe - University of Bologna - 117, c.so della Repubblica - Italy
