Appel à communications : “Political Histories of Conflict: Social Cleavages, Political Ideologies, Clashes of Sovereignty”, Södertörn University, Suède, 12-14 juin 2024

> Call for Panels and Papers < 

11^th Annual APH Conference 

Political Histories of Conflict: 

Social Cleavages, Political Ideologies, Clashes of Sovereignty 12–14 June 2024, Södertörn University, Sweden 

Current events require a major revaluation of traditional approaches to social unrest, political  division, and war. This conference seeks to take stock from a historical perspective and  stimulate deeper inquiries into the causes and processes of political conflict, thus  investigating historical issues that are highly relevant in the world of today.  

Recent years have seen established domestic and global ways of resolving conflicts  threatened by increasing social cleavages, growing political polarisation, and state-led  warmongering and aggression. Historically, reformist industrial relations and the system of  liberal democracy have functioned as platforms for the aggregation of opposed interests in  modern European society. In international relations, the “Concert of Europe”, imperial  governance, the World Wars, the Cold War, and post-Cold War efforts have offered different  models of cooperation, conflict, and containment. The conference seeks to enhance our  learning from these and other historical systems and structures to gain a better  understanding of present developments. Our conception of historical lessons is to be re evaluated and reformulated in the light of recent events such as the Russian attack on  Ukraine.  

Given the need for reformulation, the conference calls for novel approaches to political  conflict and conflict resolution across societal, political, and international relations. It  attempts to incorporate new ways of discussing clashes between interest groups, political  dissent, mechanisms of conflict resolution, colonial ambiguities, and situations of democratic  breakdown or war.  

Södertörn University’s research profile has a special emphasis on Baltic and East Central  European Studies. We have long acknowledged the need to reach out to scholars and  research centres from these regions, inviting them to join in international discussions on  political history. From this perspective it is crucial to enhance the pan-European profile of the APH at large and thereby promote East–West collaboration in developing new insights on the nature of conflict and the future of Europe. In addition to other topics, we therefore specifically call for panels and papers that address the Baltic Sea Region and East Central  Europe. Scholars from these regions are also especially encouraged to submit proposals.  

At the same time, the conference expects a wealth of historical case studies that are  situated in different historical settings and thus will help us enhance the conceptualisations of conflict in the humanities and social sciences. A variety of cases will enrich conflict studies  in the broad meaning of the term, encompassing both domestic and international relations.  Similarly, we encourage a variety of methods; for example, oral history and digital approaches  alongside traditional document analysis. Finally, the conference explores to what extent  political history is to be reframed as a history of conflicts and conflict resolution, with  significant lessons for our time. 

A broad understanding of the field of political history makes it a fruitful basis for research  exchange. It can function as a platform for the history of institutions, parties, public policies, social movements, ideas and ideologies, and it includes political culture and political  behaviour. Moreover, international relations and military history as well as transnational  relations and global civil society are included in our understanding of political history. The  conference will bring these different aspects together by means of the concept of political  conflict and conflict resolution: structures of social relations, the political realm, the historical  role of ideas, and cross-border efforts that are politically relevant.  

The APH is devoted to the interaction of doctoral students and other emerging scholars,  on the one hand, and more experienced researchers, on the other, and encourages especially  younger scholars to submit proposals and to contribute with papers. 

We are calling for panel and paper proposals addressing various kinds of historical  conflicts. 1) Proposals for 90-minute panels include a 250–400 words overarching abstract as  well as the titles of three to four papers with 150 – 250 words paper abstracts. Short bio notes and e-mail addresses for all participants are to be provided, including for the session  chair and a potential commentator (commentators are optional for sessions of 3 papers only).  2) Proposals for individual papers include a 150–400 words paper abstract as well as a short 

bio-note and e-mail address of the presenter. 

Deadline: 15 February 2024. Please submit your proposal to: aph2024@sh.se. The  conference is planned as a physical event at Södertörn University|Stockholm, 12–14 June  2024. 

Organizing committee:  

Prof. Dr. Andreas Åkerlund,  

Prof. Dr. Norbert Götz, 

Asc. Prof. Yulia Gradskova, 

Dr. Francesco Zavatti. 

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