CALL FOR PAPERS:

Rural Realities in the Post-socialist Space

11. 6. 2010

International Research workshop "Rural Realities in the Post-socialist Space: Understanding Social, Cultural and Political Change in the Russian and Eastern European countryside"

12-13 November 2010, University of Glasgow

Co-organised and supported by:

Centre for Russian, Central and East European Studies, University of Glasgow Institute for Rural Research, University of Aberdeen

Over the past two decades in Russia and Eastern Europe complex processes of socio-economic, cultural and political change have affected rural localities and populations in diverse and challenging ways. As for the Eastern European countries in general, new "market" ideology and transitional forces, in particular changing economic practices, have tended to be automatically accepted as a driving force, which defined rural space in Eastern Europe.

This picture has been reflected in both the Western media and academic discourse, where the marginality of the rural in the general context of political and economic change has been taken for granted. Specifically, academic focus has tended to be on agriculture and the shift from collective/state to private farming in rural Eastern Europe whilst far less attention has been paid to wider social, cultural, political questions and issues. Research in these areas has been developing in recent years, but there have been very few opportunities for groups of academics working in these areas to come together in an international forum to discuss results and findings.

This workshop aims to bring more careful attention to the meanings of rurality and to address the complexity of rural societies and cultures in Eastern Europe. Importantly, it will provide a much needed forum for researchers engaged in small-scale, qualitative research often in very specific localities to come together and share insight and analysis in order to assist in developing a clearer picture of the specificities and commonalities of rural developments across the region. Envisaged outcomes of the workshop include:

  • Special issue of a top-ranking cross-disciplinary journal bringing together selected papers from the workshop. (Full papers will need to be submitted by 31 December 2010)
  • Development of ongoing network for collaboration and discussion of research findings

Proposals for papers on any area of East European rural society and culture are warmly invited. Please send a 500 word abstract of your paper and a 150 word biography outlining your research interests to BOTH workshop organisers (see below) by 16 August 2010.

Workshop Organisers

Dr. Sergei Shubin
Department of Geography and Environment
University of Aberdeen
Email: s.shubin@abdn.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1224 273691

Prof. Rebecca Kay
Central and East European Studies
University of Glasgow
Email: r.kay@lbss.gla.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)141 330 5585


There will be no charge for participation at the workshop and overnight accommodation will be provided free of charge for paper givers. We are currently only able to reimburse minimal travel costs (£30 max for UK paper givers; £50 max for overseas paper givers).

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Obsah vydání | Pátek 11.6. 2010