Conference October 1-2, 2021!

The conference committee invites papers on the theme of Eruption/Disruption/Interruption. As we continue to process the impact of COVID-19 on global and local societies, the jury is still out on whether the eruption of a global pandemic, and the subsequent disruptions and interruptions to contemporary routines, are a ‘game-changer’ or an inconvenience.

At the heart of our theme is the concept of a rupture. This can refer to something that has broken, burst, or been destroyed. It can imply that either outside forces are too great for the structure in question and have destroyed it functionally, or that something within that which has ruptured was too volatile or incompatible to remain contained, controlled, or unified. Over the past 18 months, we have been witness to both of these types of rupture, as outside forces have challenged the very foundations of our society, while at the same time, internal tensions have broken forth and resulted in historic movements for democracy, equality, environmental awareness, and corporate accountability and transparency.

Global society is at a turning point of multiple ruptured points, and the 2021 AEMA conference aims to reflect on this tension in an early medieval context.

· Eruptions can be understood in many different ways, as they can describe both natural phenomena and human activity, including the sudden appearance of new movements, of groups of people, or of ideas.

· Were eruptions revolutionary? Or were they merely a disruption to the longue durée?

· Does hindsight make it easier to identify ruptures as epoch-altering events and ideas? Or does the passage of time, and attendant loss of witnesses, memories, and evidence muddy the waters too much?

· Why and in what ways did eruptions change things? And why and in what ways did they merely disrupt.

· When and how does an interruption become a disruption?

· What did the idea of a ‘new normal’ mean in the early medieval world? How quickly do societies adapt to internal and external pressures?

· And when societies change as a result of these pressures, are they still the same society?

This conference calls for papers that relate to this theme. Or, in the spirit of the theme, those that do not.

In 2021, AEMA intends to hold a hybrid conference, with both a physical location (or locations) as well as an online option. At this stage, the main physical location is likely to be in Victoria, with the potential for additional ‘hubs’ to be held in other Australian and/or International locations, depending on interest and availability.

Submissions may be in the form of individual papers of 20 minutes duration, themed panels of three 20-minute papers, or Round Tables of up to six shorter papers (total of one hour).

All sessions will include time for questions and general discussion. Please send proposals (150–200 words per paper), along with author’s name, paper/panel/RT title, and academic affiliation (if any) to conference@aema.net.au by 31 July 2021. Please also direct all other enquiries about the conference to this address, as well as any nominations for potentially hosting an in-person hub.

2021 ASKHISTORIANS DIGITAL CONFERENCE: “[DELETED] & MISSING HISTORY: RECONSTRUCTING THE PAST, CONFRONTING DISTORTIONS”
19–21 October 2021
AskHistorians Public History Forum

Whether it’s swords and sandals, corsets and wigs, or statues still standing, the past and its possible meanings resonate with twenty-first century audiences. Historical television series, public history projects, and books of popular history might claim to depict the past “as it really was,” but nevertheless illuminate the ways in which we as a society continue to bring the past into dialogue with contemporary popular culture. In so doing, these narratives often reveal more about what we think about the past—and ourselves—than about the past itself. Today, shifting interpretations of the past reveal a growing interest in the inclusion of marginalized voices as well as in questions about the human condition, the relationship between race and national identity, and issues relating to the
construction of sexuality, gender, and equality. Indeed, representations of the historical past have been used as lenses through which contemporary society has grappled with very modern examples of brutality, oppression, and the general uncertainty of life.

We therefore welcome proposals from individuals whose research explores representations of the past in any form. As the scope and influence of our topic is broad and far-reaching, we encourage proposals from a wide range of scholarly disciplines on the themes of gender, identity (both personal and national), propaganda, culture, society, accuracy, and authenticity (among others) as these pertain to the ways in which historical narratives have been constructed, represented, or misrepresented.

Applicants are asked to please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words and a short biography of no more than 100 words to conference@askhistorians.com by 11:59 PM EDT on 1 June 2021.

For more information, including suggested topics and a guide for submissions, see the attached document.