RADICAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL THEORY SYMPOSIUM (RATS)
CALL FOR PAPERS
The Anthropology Department at Syracuse University will host a RATS
Conference, March 8th and 9th, 2007.
We are soliciting contributions on two topics:
1) Unpacking political economy
Political economic perspectives have enjoyed recent popularity in
archaeological research. They have provided valuable tools for
analyzing complex societies, while finding resonance with the growing
disciplinary interest in the impact of imperialism, colonialism,
modernity, and capitalism on local communities worldwide. However, we
should not forget that political economy carries the heavy burden of
its evolutionist origins, and that it should be critically appraised.
If not, we risk endorsing stale assumptions about historical causes,
effects, and dynamics that caricature the complexity of past social
processes. This RATS session will seek to critically ?unpack? the
study of past political economies. Our challenge will be to explore
contingent perspectives that sidestep earlier determinisms and ground
our understanding of past political economies in specific historical
and cultural contexts. Participants are encouraged to present fresh
perspectives on production, exchange, consumption, labor, class,
value, power, and social practice, examining their mutual construction
as local, regional, and global forces come together. Authors are also
welcome to reflect on the creative integration of multiple scales of
analysis in the pursuit of a relational understanding of past
political economy.
2) Doing dialectics
Over the years, a number of authors have championed the use of
dialectics in the study of archaeological research. These discussions
have often elegantly distilled the theoretical dimensions of
dialectics, leaving its practical applications somewhat
under-examined. This RATS session will examine how dialectics play out
in archaeological practice. Participants are encouraged to discuss
case studies, research projects, and public-oriented work that provide
innovative engagement with the methodological, interpretive,
strategic, educational, and political aspects of dialectical inquiry.
How in effect can we use archaeological research to ground a
dialectical understanding of the world ? one focused on producing
alternative knowledge of the past, critiquing the (re)production of
power and social difference, and reshaping social conditions in our
contemporary world? How can we use material landscapes to develop a
relational practice of archaeology mindful of both past and present,
as it revisits history and pursues social justice?
Abstracts:
Paper abstracts should be limited to 250 words and submitted by
October 21st, 2006.
Format:
Presentations will be limited to fifteen minutes. The symposia will
differ from the conventional conference format by encouraging open
discussion of the topics presented in the papers. The symposia will
thus be structured around active participation from all attendees.
Contact/Organizers:
For further information, email: Francois Richard at [log in to unmask] or
Shannon Dunn at [log in to unmask]
Feel free to forward this message to any interested party.
Thank you for your interest.
Francois G. Richard
Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology
Rice University
6100 Main Street - MS 20
Houston, TX 77005
Phone (Office): (713) 348-3482
Email: [log in to unmask]
Shannon M. Dunn
Doctoral Candidate
Department of Anthropology
209 Maxwell Hall
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Syracuse, New York 13244
Phone (Anthro office): (315) 443-2200
Email: [log in to unmask]
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