Romanian Youth Voice

International Conference on Bringing Migration and History into the Equation: Re-Imagining Nationhood and Belonging, Jewish Museum, Berlin, Germany

Migration poses challenges to European societies as we know them today; indeed, the inclusion of immigrants in these societies has become a controversial issue in most European countries.

Both of these statements are reflected in ongoing debates in numerous European countries. All too often, immigrants are seen as “Others” when it comes to constructing national cohesion and patterns of belonging and identity. The “Othering” of immigrants, perhaps best seen as a process of social construction and engineering, is closely interrelated with social, economic, linguistic and, increasingly, religious questions.

However, immigrant inclusion and exclusion cannot be regarded without reference to historical, cultural and symbolic questions. Thus the analysis of identity formation and collective identities in multiethnic societies brings the political scope of identity politics, historical representations and national narratives to the fore. It entails theoretical and practical questions of (newly) constituting nationhood and transcultural belonging, as well as re-positioning ethnic/migrant minorities in the public sphere.

This conference, Bringing Migration and History into the Equation: Re-Imagining Nationhood and Belonging, will address this intersection of migration, identity formation and belonging from comparative and historical perspectives. The emphasis will be on the intersection of history, politics and commemorative practices/strategies.

Case studies as well as theoretical contributions are welcome.

We invite the submission of papers on the following topics:
- Migrant inclusion and political/historical representation;
- (Re)formation of nationhood and identities under conditions of diversity;
- Writing, teaching and displaying history in immigrant societies;
- Social and cultural practices/strategies of institutions, organisations and communities to represent migrants and their cultures/histories;
- Transnational and mediated public spheres;
- Borders and belongings: From guest workers and refugees to post-migrants;
- Methodological and theoretical contributions with regard to identity formation, identity politics and historical representation of migration;

Submissions of abstracts (max. 600 words) and a short biographical note (not more than two pages) including a list of (selected) publications are welcomed until June 30, 2011. Papers and contributions will be circulated in advance and must be received by September 25, 2011. Please indicate if you intend to give a full paper or wish to participate in a roundtable.

For further information please visit http://www.network-migration.org/workshop2011/

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07.06.2011. 23:50

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