Call for Papers:
The Other Animals: Situating the non-human in Russian Culture and History
Roanoke, Virginia, May 17-19, 2007
The significance of the animal 'other' to the human condition is oft-noted
and increasingly of interest to scholars in the humanities and
social sciences. Claude Levi-Strauss' famous dictum, 'animals are good to
think with,' Paul Shepard's assertion that "the others" (animals)
made us human, and John Berger's insistence that humans must "look" at
animals because we rely on the animal other for self-definition, all
reference the diverse ways that human cultures have represented and
interacted with animals. The prevalence of animals in everyday life and
culture, whether as sources of food, clothing, and other raw materials, as
means of transportation and energy, as subjects of scientific
research, as objects of entertainment and amusement, as inspiration for
artistic and literary creativity, as deities or representatives of the
divine, or simply as metaphors, attest to the importance of these
relationships.
Increased thinking about animals by cultural theorists, historians,
anthropologists, sociologists, literary scholars, and ethicists has
resulted in a number of interdisciplinary studies addressing the role of
animals in shaping human culture, society, and historical experience.
Focusing primarily on Western Europe and North America, these collections
are largely silent about the place of the animal in Europe's
"other" history and culture, namely that of Russia. On the periphery of the
European experience, and straddling the land masses of Europe and
Asia, Russian culture is marked by preoccupations with issues of identity,
marginalization, and uniqueness that extend the basic concern
with an "animal other" outlined above to more generalized patterns of
self-definition.
"The Other Animals" seeks to bring together a group of scholars to present
their work and engage in discussions about the significance of
animals in Russian history and culture. The goal of the conference is to
identify themes and questions specific to the Russian experience as well
as the advantages and limitations of comparative perspectives. The
organizers hope that the conference papers and discussions will serve as
the foundation for an edited volume as well. The conference will be
conducted in workshop format, with panels organized around particular
case studies or themes addressed in pre-circulated papers.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to the following:
-animals in folklore
-animals in religion (particularly Russian Orthodoxy, Judaism,
shamanism, and Islam)
-animals in literature, art, and film
-animal attractions, such as zoos, circuses, and trained bears
-animal models for medical research and the production of scientific
knowledge
-animal welfare and protection
-biodiversity, and the environment
-animals in agriculture and the city
-hunting
-vegetarianism
-warfare
-pet keeping
-theoretical perspectives on the animal in Russian history and culture
Scholars interested in participating are invited to submit a paper title,
abstract (no longer than one page), and a brief CV (including
relevant publications) by September 15, 2006. Successful applicants will be
notified in November, 2006. Participants' lodging during the
conference will be provided by the conference sponsors, Virginia Tech and
Bates College. Participants also will receive a subsidy to defray
travel expenses.
Please send submissions to Amy Nelson ([log in to unmask]) and Jane Costlow
([log in to unmask]) by September 15, 2006.
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