Cfp: Reflecting on the Studies/Etudes Paradigms

Conference venue: Maison des Sciences de l’Homme Paris Nord.
Deadline for paper proposals: March 15, 2016

In the 1960s and 1970s, many pluri-, inter- and transdisciplinary thematic research fields emerged and have since become institutionalized in the English-speaking world, under the general heading of “studies” – cultural studies, gender studies, postcolonial studies, childhood studies, conflict studies, etc. Conversely, it is only recently that French researchers have begun to work within these fields, and this late start has been diffident and limited.

We encourage reflexive contributions that will provoke discussion and debate about the historical/epistemological differences and similarities between the various studies in English-speaking countries and the equivalent research fields in French-speaking countries. We also seek cases in which there is a research field in one linguistic area, but no unified equivalent in the other linguistic area (e.g., childhood studies in the Anglophone world, or “sciences de l’information et de la communication” in the Francophone world).

We are also looking for poster propositions.

Themes

We anticipate contributions related to, but not limited to, the following themes:

• The history/genealogy and institutional structures of specific “studies” in the Francophone and Anglophone worlds.
• Comparisons of the institutional structures or ideological frameworks that supported the genesis of specific “studies” / hindered their importation into the Francophone world.
• Comparisons of the current organizational structures of research and research evaluation in the studies/”etudes.”
• Comparisons of the design, organization and implementation of educational programs in the “studies” and “etudes.”
• The ways in which Francophone researchers have appropriated and imported specific “studies”; the reception of the French “etudes” in the Anglophone world.
• Cross-cultural influences and transfers; questions of legitimacy and institutional acceptance (e.g.: the importance of “French theory” in the U.S.; the sometimes negative image of the various studies in either, or both linguistic spheres).
• Comparisons of the theories and methods used in the studies and “etudes.”
• The go-betweens: case studies of influential researchers who have worked in both linguistic (and cultural) areas and have been instrumental in the transfer of specific studies from the Anglophone to the Francophone world.
• Comparisons of publishing contexts; the circulation of key texts in the different studies. Translated and untranslated key texts.
• Comparisons of reading lists: is there a common culture of the studies/etudes?
• Comparisons of the manner in which “studies”/ “etudes” are defined and delimited. Comparisons of antagonistic or adjacent sub-fields (e.g., cultural studies et media studies vs sciences de l’information et de la communication ; American studies vs études américaines ; critical discourse analysis vs. analyse du discours vs other approaches to discourse analysis ; sexuality studies, queer studies, gender studies and women studies and their Francophone equivalents).
• Case studies of research topics: comparisons of the roles played by the various studies and their Francophone equivalents in defining and legitimizing previously “illegitimate” research topics (e.g.: pornography).
• Comparisons of the emergence of new studies (e.g. trans studies) why? What is the future of such research?
• Comparisons of the “studies” and “traditional” disciplines (sociology, history, philosophy, literature, etc.); what are researchers’ expectations in terms of productivity and creativity?
• Axiological comparisons of the political positioning and radicalism of researchers in the various studies; comparisons of the ways in which researchers working in the various studies and “études” have been involved (or not) in social debates.
• The Francophone researcher and Anglophone “academic imperialism.”

Important dates

Deadline for submission of abstract: March 16, 2016

Decision of acceptance: June 30, 2016                  

Final program available: July 15, 2016

Conference: January 19-21, 2017

Conference committee

Heidi Gautschi (Ecole Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne; Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité)
Anne Hurault-Paupe (Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité)
Anne-Charlotte Husson (Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité)
Ivan Jablonka (Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité)
Anne Maugier-Sinha (Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité)Fatma Ramdani (Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité)

Paper and poster submission guidelines

All paper or poster proposals, in English or French, must be submitted through the Easychair platform at:

[url=https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=rsep17]https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=rsep17[/url]

They must include the following information:

- name of author
- affiliation details
- email address
- an abstract of 300-400 words specifying “proposal for paper” or “proposal for poster”
- 3-5 keywords
- short author biography

Conference research blog: http://studies.hypotheses.org/
Contact: studiesconference@gmail.com