London Debates 2010: How does Europe in the 21st century address the legacy
of colonialism?


LONDON DEBATES
at the School of Advanced Study
13 - 15 May 2010 

CALL FOR PAPERS 

The School of Advanced Study at the University of London invites
applications for the second of a series of international debates for
outstanding young researchers in the humanities and social sciences. 

London Debates are discussion workshops at which a subject of broad concern
in the humanities and social sciences is debated by a small group of invited
senior academics and a selection of early-career researchers. The resulting
publication will be published online by the School of Advanced Study. 

The competition is open to scholars based in the EU/EEA, who are in their
final-year of doctoral study or up to 10 years beyond the award of their
doctorate. Successful applicants will be awarded bursaries to cover travel
and accommodation. 

You are invited to send the following in English by email attachment

*	Your curriculum vitae (2000 words maximum); 
*	the name, address and email address of one referee 
*	a response of 2000-3000 words on the subject below 

to Rosemary Lambeth ([log in to unmask]), by the closing date of
Friday 29 January 2010, with a hard copy sent to reach the Dean, School of
Advanced Study, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1 7HU, by Friday 5
February 2010. 

The 2010 topic is: How does Europe in the 21st Century address the legacy of
colonialism? 

We inhabit a world that continues to be shaped by the legacy of European
colonial expansion and exploitation. Patterns of migration, trade,
investment and even aid reflect that legacy, and it casts a long shadow over
diplomatic, military and cultural relationships between Europe and the
developing world. In domestic as well as foreign affairs, European policy
makers are constantly being reminded that they operate within a historical
context of which colonialism was an integral part. In what ways does this
shape the domestic and foreign policies of contemporary European states? And
how do European citizens address this legacy in their daily lives? 

The legacy of Imperialism has also lain behind some of the most impassioned
recent debates within academia. It has been suggested that whole branches of
supposedly 'objective' academic study provided ideological legitimacy for
and even materially assisted the colonial project. The 'Orientalist' debate
of the 1970s and '80s, which contributed to the rise of postcolonial
studies, has been reinvigorated in the last decade by the 'War on Terror'
and the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. Some scholars have been accused of
facilitating the path to conflict by producing work that 'rehabilitates' the
record of European colonialism, or which perpetuates hostile stereotypes of
the non-European 'other'. Not only in the research they do, but over issues
such as freedom of speech and the introduction of more inclusive admissions
policies, European Universities grapple daily with the legacy of the
colonial past. 

Your response may include, but is not limited to, the areas under the two
headings below. 

Please note that preference will be given to papers that have genuine
interdisciplinary appeal, and which have important implications for our
broader understanding of the legacy of European colonialism. 

1. The domestic and foreign policy of European states. What is the relevance
of the legacy of the colonialism in the following areas?

*	Race Relations 
*	Language 
*	Migration, Refugees, Asylum Issues 
*	Human Rights 
*	Legal Systems 
*	Public Services in Europe 
*	The ideologies of the European Left and Right 
*	The Commonwealth, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie
and comparable international organisations 
*	Trade 
*	Aid 
*	Military intervention 

2. European culture, leisure and academia. What has been the impact of the
legacy of colonialism over the following?

*	The novel 
*	Post-colonialism and Post-Modernism 
*	Patterns of consumption 
*	Tourism 
*	Historical research 
*	Religion 
*	Music 

 

 

Troy Rutt

Events & Publicity Officer

Institute of Commonwealth Studies

School of Advanced Study

University of London

 

Room 234, 2nd Floor

South Block, Senate House
Malet Street

London WC1E 7HU
T: +44 (0)20 7862 8853 / F: +44 (0)20 7862 8813
E: [log in to unmask]

W: www.commonwealth.sas.ac.uk <http://www.commonwealth.sas.ac.uk/>