EXTENDED DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS
 
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NATIONAL DAYS:
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND: 29-30 NOVEMBER 2007
 
 
NATIONAL DAYS: SUMMONING THE NATION?
Celebrating, commemorating, communicating, contesting…

 

Le quatorze juillet, Independence Day, Burns Night, la Diada de Catalunya, Thanksgiving, syttende mai, Super Bowl Sunday, el Día de la Hispanidad, 国庆节… All these – and many more – are days which “summon”, or attempt to summon the “nation”: in some cases to large-scale, occasionally extravagant public festivities and ceremonies, in others to more privatised, even domestic forms of national awareness.  They may be related to great historical events (usually battles – most often victories, less commonly defeats), or they may be an attempt to erase the memory of historical events: Russia’s recently instituted National Unity Day, now celebrated on 4 November, appears to be an attempt to ‘erase’ the memory of earlier celebrations of the Russian Revolution.  In yet other cases they may provide a framework for celebrations of nationhood linked to would-be “epic” sporting events, to the lives of saints, to royal birthdays or even to literary figures such as Burns in Scotland or Camões in Portugal.
 
Some of these “nations” – like the Scots, the Catalans or the Québécois – may be located within much larger, plurinational states, while other National Days – such as the Latin American Día de la Raza – claim to unite different nations in a larger transnational community transcending the boundaries of individual nation states.  Yet others may include significant diasporic elements (the celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day in the United States).  But in any case what is a “nation”: do African Americans and Hispanics enjoy a sense of ownership of Independence Day?  Do Scottish Muslims identify with Saint Andrew’s Day? Is class a factor?  For some, are such days just an excuse for a day off work?  And how are we to account for those cases (such as the UK) where there is no official National Day?
 
In all cases the political dimension of National Days seems clear enough, though its status may vary from hegemonic through informal to contestatory.  What forms of expression does this political dimension take?  The celebration of such days can also be linked to what are in some ways seen as “holy places” (for example Montserrat in Catalonia) and often involve (very) significant movements of population.  How are these sites managed?  Do such large migrations entail opportunities for national, or even international tourism?  How are National Days mediated?  How is this mediation managed in multilingual societies?
 
This conference welcomes proposals for twenty-minute papers on the subject of National Days on:
 
The politics of National Days
National Days and the construction of the nation
National Days and the invention of tradition
National Days in the stateless nation
The symbols and iconography of National Days
National Days and class
National Days and diasporas
National Days and heritage sites
National Days and religion
The language and rhetoric of National Days
National Days and gender
Public and privatised National Days
National Days in film, television, radio and the press
National days and the internet
National Days and tourism
… and indeed other topics relating to the complex and multifaceted phenomenon
 
It is our intention to produce at least one edited collection of articles based on conference papers.
 
The conference will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, on 29 and 30 November 2007.  Invited speakers include:
 
Salvador Cardús, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Hu Zhengrong, Communication University of China, Beijing
Douglas Kellner, University of Central Los Angeles, USA
David McCrone, Edinburgh University, Scotland
 
Proposals (max. 250 words) should be sent, preferably by e-mail, to:
 
Prof. Hugh O’Donnell
Cultural Business Group
Glasgow Caledonian University
Cowcaddens Road
Glasgow
G4 0BA
Scotland (UK)
Tel: +44 (0)141 331 3262
Fax: +44 (0)141 331 3264
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
 
by Friday 1 June 2007 at the latest.  Decisions on acceptance will be communicated by mid-June.
 
Further information is available at:
 
www.caledonian.ac.uk/nationaldays <http://www.caledonian.ac.uk/nationaldays>