Rural History Network of the ESSHC 2014

RHN 36/2013 | Call

Organisers: Dulce Freire (Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon), Anton Schuurman (Wageningen University, Netharlands)
23-26 April 2014, Vienna, Austria
Deadline: 15 May 2013

 

The Rural History Network (RHN) of the European Social Science History Conference invites session and paper proposals for the European Social Science History Conference which will be held in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday April 23th to Friday April 25th, 2014.

Session and paper proposals can be submitted to the network chairs or to the conference site. Deadline for session and paper proposals is 15 May 2013. Please note that the network chairs are especially eager to see complete session proposals, as we find that this is conducive to intellectual coherence in sessions. However, promising single paper submissions will be given every consideration, and we will try to find them compatible sessions for inclusion. There will be a maximum of 17 RHN-sessions.

On 2014, for the first time, the ESSHC organization committee will offer the Prof. Jan Lucassen Award for best paper at the ESSHC by a (PhD) student.

We are keen to organize sessions on more general topics. We also encourage sessions that stimulate trans/inter-national and trans/inter-regional comparisons. To encourage discussion and promote unity of the sessions, we accept that sessions can be proposed on more than one network. In this case, session organizers should refer what is the partner network of the RHN.

When you have suggestions for recent books that would merit a “Meet the author”-session, we would very much appreciate it that you send these suggestions to us. We can also have “Round tables” sessions.  The Round table-format is suitable when you want to stimulate discussion on a general topic or when you embark on a new theme and want to raise some first reactions.

The RHN-sessions at the ESSHC provide rural historians with the opportunity to present their work to colleagues who are working in the same field, but also to scholars who have a more general interest in social, cultural and economic history. In other words, this conference gives us the chance to demonstrate the importance of rural history for the historical process in general.

Possible themes for sessions in Vienna (this list provided by the network chairs is just meant to stimulate your thoughts. We are open for other themes and proposals):

  • Global markets and local products
  • “Land grabbing” and agrarian reforms
  • Formal and informal cooperation on the countryside
  • Agriculture and biodiversity on historical perspective
  • Social movements and rural society politicization
  • Rise and fall of regional productions
  • (Re)Invention of traditions
  • Rural impacts of the economic crises
  • World food needs and agriculture changes
  • Governing the rural: institutions and policies
  • Historical climate changes and agriculture
  • Migrations and rural society
  • (Re)Construction of regional identities
  • Global circulation: agriculture products and consumption habits
  • Innovation: lay and scientific knowledge
  • Hunger and famines on history

 

How to propose a paper: Fill out the pre-registration form on the Internet: http://esshc.socialhistory.org. Include an abstract of your paper (100-500 words). If you have no access to the Internet, please contact the Conference secretariat for a paper form. Please send in your form as soon as possible, but before May, 15st 2013 at the latest.

How to organise a panel session: Gather three or four speakers who each will present a paper on a related topic, a commentator who will introduce the discussion with a prepared comment on the papers and a chair. The roles of the session organizer, chair and commentator can be fulfilled by the same or by different persons. Confirm participation and arrange with these individuals the (date of) exchange of papers and the way the session will be conducted. Submit the proposal for a session with a pre-registration form for each individual speaker. The deadline for this is May 15, 2013. Contact the speakers regularly; to make sure that the preparation of the session is progressing, as you would want it to be.

If you want to organise a panel session and you are looking for contributors, you may think of using H-Rural for asking other scholars to join you in a session.

Conference fee: Payment in advance full fee: Euro 200; one day attendance: Euro 100.

Note: make sure you fill in the pre-registration form, including a 100-500 word abstract of your proposed paper before 15 May 2013 at the ESSHC-site.

Conference website: Additional information regarding the conference can be found at: http://esshc.socialhistory.org

Network rural history: http://www.wageningenur.nl/rhi

Network chairs: Dulce Freire (Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon, Portugal); Anton Schuurman (Wageningen University, Netherlands)