Trauma Stories: Memory and Representation in the Humanities and the Sciences
Call for papers
Interdisciplinary conference, 2-4 September 2009, New College,
University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
The aim is to identify and, where necessary, question disciplinary
assumptions about trauma and memory and their representation in a
variety of subjects by encouraging cross-disciplinary exchange.
Within the Humanities and Sciences there exist very diverging
understandings of what constitutes 'trauma' and the validity of
'memory'. We are interested in hearing about the different 'stories'
of trauma and memory that emerge in specific subjects and disciplines.
The concept of 'trauma stories' is thus deliberately paradoxical and
challenges assumptions concerning the idea that trauma, as an event
that is external to the individual affected by it, cannot be narrated
or represented in language.
The idea that memories of trauma transfer from the individual to the
collective level has enjoyed wide currency in the Humanities recently,
particularly in theories concerning the inexplicability of historical
and natural disasters, and it is often underpinned by powerful
ideological claims. How do such theories harmonise with the evidence
from psychology and cognitive neuroscience that show traumatic
memories, as expressed by the individual, are often highly inaccurate?
One main question thus concerns the distinctive 'stories' that
different disciplines ?tell? in order to establish a traumatic object of
enquiry.
In our cross-disciplinary context, the concept of the 'story' thus
goes beyond the fictional tale to encompass disciplinary
representation generally. What do literary scholars, psychologists,
historians mean when they speak about 'trauma' and 'memory'?
Where does their understanding of the object of enquiry most converge
/ diverge?
Paper proposals are welcomed which address critically the
representation of trauma and/or memory in a particular discipline or
across disciplinary boundaries, or which problematise or identify
controversial areas in the representation of trauma and/or memory.
Studies of individual authors/theorists/texts are also welcome if they
address the issues in question.
List of disciplines (non-exhaustive):
Literary Studies
Cultural Studies
Psychology
History
Philosophy
Film studies
Religious Studies
Human Cognitive Neuroscience
Please send abstracts of no more than 500 words and a 100-word bio by
31 January 2009 to
[log in to unmask] Panel proposals are also welcome.
Mary Cosgrove (German Studies, University of Edinburgh)
Peter Davies (German Studies, University of Edinburgh)
Hannah Holtschneider (Jewish Studies, University of Edinburgh)
Linda Tym (English Literature, University of Edinburgh)
Kamran Rastegar (Islamic Studies, University of Edinburgh)
Dr Peter Davies
School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures
University of Edinburgh
David Hume Tower
George Square
Edinburgh
EH8 9JX
Email: [log in to unmask]
Visit the website at http://tmredbg.wordpress.com/conference-2009/
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The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
Scotland, with registration number SC005336.
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