"CHEMICAL REACTIONS: Chemistry and Global History"
International Conference April 10-12, 2014
Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia
Call for Papers
Conference Focus
One of the most important developments in the history of science and
technology in recent years has been the recognition that, far from being an
essentially western history, it can best be understood and analyzed in the
broader context of global history. This is not a call to investigate
'influence' or to compare the 'achievements' of 'the West and the Rest',
but to consider how globally spread interactions and networks of commercial
and cultural exchange both depended on and fed scientific and technological
investigation and development. Such an approach has proven extremely
fruitful in the history of medicine, natural history (botany, etc.),
astronomy, cartography and geography. Surprisingly, the history of
chemistry has yet to be analytically integrated with global history in a
sustained and organized way. This conference and subsequent edited volume
are a first step in that direction.
For the purposes of this conference, the term 'chemistry' should not be
considered in a scientifically narrow, discipline-bound way. Rather, we are
interested to include examinations of knowledge-claims and practices,
wherever they were situated or travelled, that somehow involved the de- and
re-composition of material compounds, irrespective of whether they were
labeled as 'chemistry' by contemporaries.
Topics
In order to provide a manageable way into this huge and fascinating field,
the conference will be limited to the seventeenth - twentieth century and
be organized around a small number of topic areas:
* Chemistry and Global Commodities - examples include porcelain, sugar,
oil, rubber (natural and synthetic) and 'recreational drugs'.
* Chemistry and Environment - modifying or sustaining the environment
through chemistry, whether conscious or as an unintended by-product.
Examples range from pest control to 'cradle to cradle' modes of production
and include globally connected topics such as the Green Revolutions and
Bhopal.
* Chemistry and Global Health - from the early-modern circulation of drugs
and pharmaceutical knowledge to recent struggles over patent rights and
distribution of medicines.
* Chemistry and Industry - from the early-modern world of porcelain
manufacture, textile production and dyeing to recent issues relating to the
mining and exploitation of minerals only available in war-torn areas of
Africa, production of computers and cell phones.
* Chemistry and Governance - the role of governments, trading companies,
(professional and amateur) scientific societies and corporations in
managing and directing the production and circulation of chemically-based
productions, methods and knowledge
* Chemistry and Everyday Life - the introduction of new processes and
materials such as glass, cement, synthetic fibers, ersatz foods, plastics
and nano-materials. Subject areas might include topics such as
architecture, clothing and fashion, food and drink.
Running through the entire conference, we hope, will be attention to the
material exchange of chemical techniques of all kinds across different
cultures around the world, whether carried by commodities, books, concerns
about public health, or profit-seeking entrepreneurs.
Submit a Proposal
One-page proposals for individual presentations or round-table discussions
that fall under any of these rubrics or focus on relations between them are
welcome. We hope to include not only historians of chemistry, but also
historians who more generally investigate global commodities, the
environment, global health, industry, governance and material culture. The
deadline for proposal submission is June 1 2013. Travel support for
participants, to defray the cost of transportation and lodging will be
available. The conference will be open (without cost) to all who are
interested.
Proposals should be sent to: [log in to unmask]
For further information, please contact Carin Berkowitz
[[log in to unmask]] or Lissa Roberts [[log in to unmask]]
Scientific Committee
Lissa Roberts, University of Twente
James Delbourgo, Rutgers University
Fa-Ti Fan, SUNY Binghamton
Catherine Jackson, University of Notre Dame
Carin Berkowitz, Chemical Heritage Foundation
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Jennifer Rampling
Research Fellow
Department of History and
Philosophy of Science
University of Cambridge
Free School Lane
Cambridge CB2 3RH
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