Conference Overview
The Humanities Research Institute and the Centre for the History of Violence at the University of Newcastle, Australia, is holding its inaugural Violence Studies conference at the Crowne Plaza, Newcastle, Australia, 21-23 August 2012. The 2012 Violence Studies Conference will address a range of critically important ideas relating to the history of violence.
We invite prospective participants to submit a presentation proposal for one of the following parallel session options:
- 30-minute panel presentations
- a 90-minute workshop
- a jointly presented 90-minute round table session.
Parallel sessions are loosely grouped into streams reflecting different perspectives or disciplines.
For all inquiries, please contact:
A/Prof Philip Dwyer, Philip.Dwyer@newcastle.edu.au
Prof. Lyndall Ryan, Lyndall.Ryan@newcastle.edu.au
Call for Papers
The Humanities Research Institute at the University of Newcastle invites academics from a wide a variety of disciplines - including anthropology, art, history, international relations, law, literature, psychology, philosophy, political science and sociology - to submit proposals for panels and individual papers at its conference, Histories of Violence, to be held in the city of Newcastle from 21-23 August 2012.
Keynote speaker: the Hon Gareth Evans AO QC
Plenary speakers:
- Kenneth M. George University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Professor Joy Damousi, University of Melbourne
The program committee welcomes panels and paper proposals that deal with the history of violence in the broadest sense, in all parts of the world, from the fifteenth century to the present day. In order to complement the Humanities Research Institute's continuing strengths in the history of violence, the Committee encourages proposals that involve histories of gender and race, cultural history, and religious history. The Committee also invites submissions from scholars working in war, murder, mass murder and atrocity.
Specific themes may include, but are not limited to:
- Concepts of violence
- Representations of violence (in art, literature, and film)
- Ritual group violence
- Political violence and terrorism
- Violence and liberation
- Violence and sexuality and sexual politics
- Violence and gender roles
- Domestic service and violence
- The history of interpersonal violence
- Atrocities of war (including the collection of body parts and war trophies)
- The language of violence
- Race, class, civil rights and violence
- Collective violence
- Vengeance
- Religion and violence
- Violence against civilians (war/colonization)
- Traumatism
To defray travelling costs for postgraduate students, the HRI is offering one competitive fellowship. Please read below for further information.
The committee seeks complete panels with a coherent theme in one of the following formats:
- papers and chair
- a workshop
- a roundtable discussion with a chair and participants.
Panels will have two presenters and a chair. Roundtables must have at least five participants (including the chair). The committee also welcomes panels using innovative procedures. Although proposals for individual papers will be considered, proposals for complete panels are encouraged and will receive preference.
All submissions should be electronic and should be submitted before 1 May 2012. Participants will be notified by 1 June 2012. Please include the following information:
- Panel title & short, one paragraph description.
- Paper proposals for each paper (no more than half a page).
- The CVs of all participants.
- Email address of designated contact person.
Send the completed Registration Form to one of the contact people listed above.
Structure of the Conference
Panel Presentations
A conference session involving two 30-minute presentations, followed by 30 minutes of questions and answers. You are welcome to nominate a chair for your session or we can provide one for you. The chair moderates the session but does not commentate.
90-Minute Workshops
A workshop is a staged conversation, dialogue or debate. This is a conference session involving substantial interaction with the audience and may be built around particular problems that require brainstorming. Presenters need to conceive and design the session and submit a proposal. Workshops do not include long papers. Long papers are reserved for the panel presentations.
90-Minute Round-Tables
A conference session involving at least five participants (for example, a chair plus four or more presenters who present for no more than 15 minutes each). At least 15 minutes must be left for audience interaction. Presenters need to conceive and design the session and submit a proposal via the 'Submit Proposal' link at the HRI website. We recommend against reading entire papers, and suggest that handouts (20 or 30 copies-please bring these with you, as there are no photocopying facilities at the Conference) and visual supports (Powerpoint) to assist delivery.
Graduate Scholar Awards
A limited number of Graduate Scholar Awards will be granted for research students to attend the Conference. Applicants are required to have an accepted proposal for presentation. Please download and complete the Graduate Scholar Award Application Form. Attach the completed form to an email, and send it to the email address at the top of the form.