Call for papers

Students of the Faculty of Arts, Comenius University, in conjunction with the Center for Inter-American Studies, University of Graz, are pleased to announce the 2^nd edition of the Student Conference on Inter-American Studies. The conference will be held in Bratislava, Slovakia, from 15-16 February 2013.

The aim of the conference is to introduce a new field of studies that is developing in Europe as well as in the states of the Americas. The conference offers a platform for students from international universities to contribute to the new academic field of Inter-American Studies with interdisciplinary and intercultural analyses of the Americas in the area of globalization. The lectures are expected to deal with the new concept of the Americas as a unit, and examine the countries’ mutual relations from the point of view of linguistics, literature, history, cultural studies, sociology, gender studies, migration studies, economics and indigenous studies.

1^st conference day – CANADA IN THE AMERICAS

This year’s edition will introduce a new concept of the conference when the first conference day will be devoted to the analysis of a particular American country and its relations with others in any field. The first day of the conference offers a platform for the examination and discussion of Canada and her historical, cultural, economic and political links with other countries of the Western Hemisphere. The organizers invite papers on all aspects of the conference theme, including but not limited to the following topics:

• Languages of Canada and the impact of the official bilingualism on public policy and foreign relations
• Linguistic diversity in Canada and its impact on external relations
• Economic integration and engagement of Canada in the Americas
• Links between literary circles in Canada and other America’s countries and cultural ties today and in the past
• Majority and minority Canadian literatures (ethnic, racial, class, gender)
• Gender and sexuality within the multicultural framework
• First Nations literatures and cultures and their connection/comparison with Native inhabitants of the Americas
• Political, economic and cultural aspects of  immigration and diaspora

2^nd conference day – INTER-AMERICAN STUDIES

            The second conference day will welcome papers dedicated to the interdisciplinary analysis of America’s countries and their interaction in the area of culture, economy, etc. Submissions are invited on topics including but not limited to the following:

• Inter-American Studies as comparative Social/Cultural/Literary/Media Studies
• Literature, film, and music in the contact zones
• Political, economic and cultural background of the USA-Mexico crisis
• Position of Brazil as a new economy in the Americas
• Cultural, political and economic status of the Portuguese-speaking Brazil in the Spanish-speaking Latin America and the Western Hemisphere
• Nuestra America – Spanish speaking minorities in the USA and their historical and cultural background
• Position of Native peoples in the Americas
• Venezuela-Cuba relations in a wider context of the Americas and their implications
• New political, economic and social system emerging in Venezuela and its impact on  the Latin American region
• Benefits and problems of regional integration organisations (NAFTA, MERCOSUR and CAN- Andean Community of Nations); Venezuela as a new MERCOSUR member
• Engagement of US companies and banks in Latin America and the background of their activities
• Position and meaning of the Caribbean islands in the Americas
• Drug dealing in Latin American states, its consequences, implications and representation in literature and visual arts

Presentations will be 20 minutes long with an additional 10 minutes for questions, comments and discussion. The conference registration form, along with an abstract of the proposed paper (maximum 250 words) and a one-paragraph CV for those planning to deliver a paper, should be submitted by e-mail to the organizers (interamericanconference@yahoo.com) by 15 November 2012. Notification of acceptance of papers will be given by 30 November 2012.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FEE

The conference registration fees quoted below include the following:

•          Admission to all lectures

•          Lunch (15 - 16 February), Cultural programme (15 February), Reception (16 February), Bratislava sightseeing (February 17) and coffee breaks (dinner on February 15 will be the participants’ responsibility)

            Registration fee €10

Instructions on paying the registration fee will be sent with confirmation of registration / registration and acceptance of paper.

ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation should be provided by the organizers in case of successfully accepted grant application.

In case the grant application will be rejected; conference participants will be responsible for paying for their accommodation. Instructions on accommodation will be sent with confirmation of registration / registration and acceptance of paper.

Call for papers