Call for Paper Proposals
Conference on the Contemporary Russian-Speaking Jewish Diaspora
The Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University, with the coop-eration of the American Councils for International Education and the Russian Foundation for Humanities, invites submissions of paper proposals for an international conference on the Rus-sian-speaking Jewish diaspora that has been formed over the past four decades.
The emigration of about 1.5 million Jews from the former Soviet Union (FSU) in several large waves since the mid-1970s??”more than three times as many as those who remain? ?” has affected Jewish life in its successor states and in the host countries. The post-1989 migration of Jews from the FSU, for example, constitutes the single largest immigration in the sixty-two-year history of Israel and the largest group of Jews to come to the United States and to Germany since the early twentieth century.
This conference will focus on how Russian-speaking Jews in the late 20th? ?“early 21st centuries have affected the cultures, politics, and economies of Israel, the United States, and Germany, as well as the "sending" countries of the FSU. Conferees will consider whether Rus-sian-speaking Jewry constitutes "a global community," and how this recent migration challenges the larger concepts of "identity" and "diaspora" across geographic and national borders.
*Suggested Themes*
We are interested in papers from a range of disciplinary perspectives that address the his-tory, evolution, and future of Russian-speaking Jewish communities, cultures, and identities. We encourage papers that move beyond the description of particular populations or institutions and introduce analyses of the problems, paradoxes, contradictions, and challenges involved in think-ing about the Russian-speaking Jews.
The following themes are suggested as guides for the formulation of topics for paper pro-posals:
?• Globalization, Transnationalism, and Ethno-Cultural Diasporas in the 21st Century ?• Political Behavior, Social Mobility, Commercial Activities, and Cultural Endeavors ?• Defini-tions of Jewishness ?• Cultural Expressions of Russian-Speaking Jews ?• Media and Communi-cations ?• Future of the Russian-Speaking Jewish Diaspora
For a fuller description of the suggested themes, please see our Web site at http://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/seminars_conferences/diaspora. Papers will also be considered on any other themes relevant to the contemporary Russian-speaking Jewish diaspora. Note that the working language of the conference is English: all papers must be submitted and presented in English.
*Submitting a Proposal*
Junior and senior scholars in the humanities and social sciences, as well as others working in relevant areas, are eligible to apply, irrespective of citizenship or country of residence. Pro-posals should be submitted via the conference Web site at http://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/seminars_conferences/diaspora.
Submissions must include:
?• a completed online application form ?• a project abstract of approximately 250 words ?• a 2-page curriculum vitae (CV) listing education, publications, fellowships and awards, and recent work and teaching experience
The deadline for submitting proposals is May 14, 2010. All materials must be submitted in English. Decisions will be announced by July 1, 2010. Presenters must submit their final confer-ence papers by September 1, 2011. Selected papers will be considered for publication in an ed-ited volume. The conference will take place on November 14-15, 2011.
Harvard University and cooperating funders will cover presenters' expenses for travel, lodging, and meals. A modest honorarium will also be provided (contingent on presenter's eligi-bility to receive payment).
*Project Organizers*
Zvi Gitelman, Professor of Political Science and Preston R. Tisch Professor of Judaic Stud-ies, University of Michigan Lisbeth L. Tarlow, Ph.D., Associate Director, Davis Center for Rus-sian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University
*More Information*
For additional information about the conference, please see http://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/seminars_conferences/diaspora or contact Данный адрес e-mail защищен от спам-ботов, Вам необходимо включить Javascript для его просмотра. <mailto: Данный адрес e-mail защищен от спам-ботов, Вам необходимо включить Javascript для его просмотра. >.
