Friday, August 6, 2010

Call for Papers -- "Fault Lines" conference at U Texas at Austin

To encourage wider interdisciplinary participation, we have extended the deadline for submissions for "Fault Lines" to August 15. We have also extended the deadline for early registration to September 1. The original CFP follows.


*Call for Papers*

The American Studies Graduate Committee at the University of Texas at Austin calls for papers for its upcoming graduate conference, “Fault Lines,” to beheld in Austin on October 7-October 8, 2010. Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Ann Stoler, Willy Brandt Distinguished University Professor of Anthropologyand Historical Studies at The New School for Social Research. In her keynote address, Dr. Stoler will discuss her work on the debris of empire, the political life of archival documents, and the personal and political refusal to engage colonial history through what she calls colonial aphasia.

Our conference will center on questions of crisis and fissure and will also trace the way in which people negotiate the colonial implications of moments of crisis. The recent earthquakes in Haiti and subsequent outpouring of financial, nonprofit, and military support from the U.S. raise questions about neocolonialism and the relationship between the global north and the global south on the world stage. Disasters of this magnitude can alter or reinforce relationships between people and places globally, like the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, or domestically, like Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

How do racial/economic/social differences/disparities play out during times of crisis? Where/how do the cracks in the “global world” begin to reveal themselves? How are these fissures addressed or redressed through national and transnational reactions? What role does sentiment—personal and political, individual and national—play in national crises like these? How, for example, does fault or blame get assigned and meted out after adisastrous event, such as the ongoing BP oil crisis in the Gulf? How do people mobilize or fail to mobilize around emotional response? Moreover,what kind of comparisons can be drawn between contemporary and historical moments of crisis, especially in terms of the way in which these moments of crisis are narrated?

While this conference will solicit papers on a variety of topics, the theme of past and present moments of crisis and fissure and subsequent local/national/global reactions will provide a guide for submissions. Contributors will be encouraged to think about crisis transnationally and within the U.S. In addition to traditional conference papers, we also invite other presentation formats and creative works, such as short films and poetry/fiction/drama readings. Though our conference program committee will primarily be assembling the panels out of individual submissions, we also will consider pre-formed panels. Jointly authored presentations are acceptable. We also invite graduate students collaborating with community partners on service, activist, educational, artistic, or other projects to present in conjunctionwith those partners.

To propose a presentation, please submit an abstract of no more than 200 words and a CV of no more than one page to the American Studies Graduate Committee at utamst10@gmail.com no later than *August 15, 2010*. Submission text may be embedded in the email or included in a Word attachment. If accepted, each graduate student presenter will be asked to pay a registration fee of $20 to help cover conference expenses. Those registeringby *September 1, 2010* may register at the early-registration discount rate, which is $17.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Important Fall 2010 Events: Orientation and Ph.D. Application Workshop

The fall semester may be a month away, but there are some important dates that you may want to mark on your calendars. See below for more details.

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Fall Orientation and Start of Semester Party
Thursday, September 2, 2010

Introductions and Presentations start at 5:00 PM in location TBD
Reception to follow orientation at Draper offices.

Please join Draper faculty and staff on Thursday, September 2nd for our fall 2010 orientation. New and returning students will learn more about fall course offerings, upcoming events of interest, and important information about starting the semester. A reception will follow in the Draper offices.

RSVPs are appreciated; please email draper.program@nyu.edu to let us know if you will be joining us.

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Ph.D. Application Workshop
Friday, September 17, 2010
5:00 - 7:00 PM
Draper Map Room

This workshop is a mini-orientation session geared towards students who are either considering a Ph.D. or those who are already in the early stages of the application process. It is also relevant to students who are interested in general information regarding doctoral degrees and those who need some guidance as to what they should be prepared for in terms of the application process. Some general issues that will be tackled are:

  • How do I know if a PhD is right for me?
  • Setting realistic expectations of the PhD process and future career trajectories.
  • Choosing a department as well as a university that is a good fit for me. -What to expect in terms of the contents and deadlines for a PhD application.
  • Using Draper as a resource for making decisions about a PhD and a career in academia.
We encourage all Draper students who are interested in future doctoral studies and have questions regarding the same to attend this workshop.