The ability to publicly negotiate, to have conversation and to utilise political language appears to be in crisis. The politics of now is a politics defined by our inability to speak to one another. Donald Trump, Brexit and Migration have exposed the fissues in our communities and the inability for civil and political leaders to find common ground. Yet, it has never been so easy to talk to one another: the use of Twitter by movements such as Black Lives Matter and #metoo shows the benefits and limitations of a new public sphere. This is not the first time that civil discourse has expanded or broken down. The early modern period saw a dramatic increase in people talking, debating and arguing with each other; religion, colonialism, nationalism and political ideology separated people from each other as much as they brought them together. This was a period defined by debate, conversation, misunderstanding and caricature.
This conference aims to bring together scholars from across the humanities to facilitate greater interdisciplinary work, to discuss how the study of the early modern era is entwined with our understanding of the current world, and how such work may impact the present. We aim to inspire thought on structures of empowerment and disempowerment in settings of law, politics and institutions, and also within trade and writing. We want to address the question of what it means to negotiate, to converse, and to foster productive political debate. We invite papers that focus specifically on negotiations within the period, and also papers that address the themes of negotiation and conversation more theoretically or broadly. Perspectives on gender, class, race and religion are particularly encouraged, especially those that utilise academic training to engage with these questions more expansively.
Topics may include, but should not be limited to: The Negotiation of Space Religious Negotiations Race, Religion, Gender, Class and other Identity Categories Ways to utilise humanities research Negotiation of and within Print Culture Negotiations in Theatre, Fiction and the Arts Habits and Methods of Coping with the Early Modern Experience The Physicality of Negotiations Diplomatic and Political Negotiations The Negotiation of the Early Modern World as lived Experience Systems of Empowerment and Disempowerment Negotiations across and within institutions
The conference will take place on 3 June 2019, in the Strand Building, King's College London. In addition to the panels, a keynote address will be given by Professor Andy Wood. Please send abstracts of no longer than 300 words to dominic.birch@kcl.ac.uk by 1 March 2019. Registration will be free, and we will be able to cover some travel costs for postgraduates and early career researchers.
Source: H-France