Call for Proposals
Deadline for Submission of Abstracts: April 30, 2007
Partners:
Department of History, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Institute for Global Initiatives, Kennesaw State University, Georgia, USA
Southeast World History Association, USA
Aided by advances in technology, globalization has expanded and accelerated the movement of people, ideas, capital and commodities worldwide. Accompanied by unprecedented and dramatic increases in population, agricultural production, industrialization, and trade, it has placed severe stress on the natural environment and availability of natural resources (Global Policy Forum, http://www.globalpolicy.org/globaliz/cultural/). And while one-half of income worldwide is now generated by trade among nations, 1.3 billion people are living on less than one dollar a day and 3 billion people, or half the population of the world, live on less than two dollars a day (Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Globalization: A View from Below).
Inequality inhibits growth and undermines good public policy, collective decision making, and social institutions critical to healthy democratic societies. While there is a real need for new and improved global rules and regulatory arrangements to provide for public goods, protect the global environment, manage global financial risks, and discourage anti-competitive processes, global rules have tended to reflect the interests of the rich rather than give voice or votes to poorer countries and people (Center for Global Development, http://www.cgdev.org/doc/commentary/birdsall/WIDERlecture_inequality.pdf)
Is globalization synonymous with the spread of liberal democracy and free market capitalism? Or is it oppressive, exploitive and a variant of imperialism? Are local communities helpless against global forces or empowered by new avenues of access? Globalization challenges traditional concepts of identity, nationalism, and democracy. It requires new perspectives on migration, integration, negotiation, and reaction. Contradictorily, globalization has been linked to regional integration and conflict, development and starvation, prosperity and instability. There is an upsurge in the struggle for rights and recognition from groups unsettled by the rapid changes of this new global era. Everywhere, mobility, identity and citizenship are generating mounting tensions while untracked and undocumented migrations are often identified with crime and terrorism.
How are peoples’ allegiances aligned? With their country, employer, local ethnic community, religion? How are the newly emerging cross-national and cross-generational umbilical relationships serving communities back home in the migrants’ place of origin? Why does a simple piece of cloth, wrapped around a woman’s head (the hijab) evoke strongly different views and emotions? Is the rush to find ever cheaper goods and services advanced at the expense of decent living wages? What is meant by fair trade?
Sharp contrasts exist between the economic gains of globalization and the social and political problems it has engendered. New conceptual frameworks are needed that recognize the "loosening" trend of globalization but also acknowledge the "tightening" pressures experiences by those unable or unwilling to participate. These and other questions shall be addressed by this conference.
Sub-themes include, but are not limited to, the following:
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Conceptual issues on Globalization, migration, citizenship and identity
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Migration, forced migration, and Diasporas
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Ethnicity and ethnic studies vs. globalism
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Race and migration myths and stereotypes
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Legal and illegal immigrations
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Religion, religious issues, new religious movements
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Nationalisms, patriotism, and exclusion
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Citizenship: civic; community; group; ethnic; cultural
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Borders, borderland studies
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International movement of capital and labor
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Homelands, migration, diasporas and multiple identities
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International organizations and global trade
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Gender issues in Globalization, migration, and identity
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National language debates: unilingualism, bilingualism, or multilingualism
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Policy issues: national, regional, international
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Conflict, civil wars / genocide
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Issues in modern economic migrations within nations
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Business and economic issues in globalization
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Cultural relations/practices
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Governments, leadership and governance
Submission of Abstracts
Interested participants are requested to send an abstract of less than 250 words describing the focus of their papers or panel, the central argument and the methodology employed. If proposing a panel, please submit the title and abstract for each paper along with the names and institutional affiliation of panelists. Whether a paper or a panel, all proposals must have personal information such as name, institutional affiliation, position or title, contact phone numbers and/or e-mail address.
Abstracts may be submitted in hard copy or electronically. If the latter, please save your document in Word or RTF format and send as an e-mail attachment. In the subject line, please type “Globalization Conference.” Abstracts may be sent to the conference organizer by post or e-mail at the addresses below.
Send abstracts and personal information to the Conference Coordinator at one of the following addresses:
Dr. Olutayo C. Adesina
Globalization Conference Coordinator
Department of History
University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
E-mail: uihistoryconference@yahoo.com
Alt. Email: olutayo27@yahoo.com |
Ms. Vivian Bonilla
Globalization Conference Coordinator
Institute for Global Initiatives
Kennesaw State University
1000 Chastain Road, #2702
Kennesaw, GA 30144
E-mail: vbonill1@kennesaw.edu |
Language of the Conference:
The language of the conference will be English. Accepted
papers will be considered for publication in the Journal
of Global Initiatives after presentation at the conference.
Deadlines
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Submission of Abstracts: April 30, 2007
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Acceptance of Papers: Those whose papers are accepted will be notified by May 30, 2007
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Preliminary Programme and other details will become available by September 30, 2007
