[Discussion] Amerikan Üniversitesi'nden Kirgizistan'da Ekonomi ve Kültürde Degişim ve Müdahale Toplantisi

[Gonul]

CONF./CFP- Bishkek Int'l Sociology Conference, American Univ., June 2003

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY - CENTRAL ASIA CIVIC EDUCATION PROJECT

American University
Central Asia and Civic Education Project Central Asia and Mongolia

invite proposals for

An international sociology conference to be held at the American
University
- Central Asia, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 18-21 June 2003

Transformations and Interventions: Critical perspectives on economy and
culture in post-socialist societies

American University - Central Asia and Civic Education Project Central
Asia
& Mongolia invite applications and proposals from sociology and related
social fields on topics detailed below. Social change is an outcome of
complexities and contradictions inherent in society. Social upheavals
are
both intended and unintentional, mediated and initiated by markets,
civil
society and the state, and can be viewed as spontaneous, planned and/or
negotiated. Such transformations affect the cultural lives of
individuals
and communities. These transformations represent both threats and
opportunities, and social actors and institutions adapt to and resist
such
liberating and oppressive effects. Interestingly, cultural and political

goals (such as moral conservatism) can remain at times at odds with the
economic goals (such as market freedom). Economic and cultural changes
can
be morally evaluated in terms of individual liberties, societal needs,
cultural diversity and moral ideals. Social actors and institutions aim
to
intervene and make further changes on the grounds of civil rights,
morality
and ethics, economic profit, cultural heritage, and social development.

Various theorists have discussed the nature of transformations in
advanced
industrial societies in terms of a shift from production to consumption
to
information, from fordism to post-fordism, and/or from modernity to
late-modernity to post-modernity. In addition, writers have examined the

nature of interventions in terms of a shift from the welfare state to
market
relations and the voluntary sector, from the 'politics of distribution'
to
the 'politics of recognition', and/or from organised political party
actions
to social movements and single-issue campaigns. However, the changes
that
have occurred in post-socialist countries differ in nature and degree.
Arguably, these countries have undergone a deeper transformation
reflecting
a turn to capitalist state ideology, a destruction of the welfare state,
a
revival of religious groups, an emergence of political extremists, an
outbreak of public corruption, a poisoning of the environment, a flow of

labour migrants from rural to urban and from East to West, a thriving
informal and illegal economy, an unchecked growth of criminal terrorism,
and
a re-writing of national histories. In spite of such brutalising
changes,
there have been small flowerings of modernity, evident in a greater
awareness of and a need to tackle gender inequalities, ethnicity
minority
abuses, and gay and lesbian discrimination.

In bringing together critical perspectives on transformations and
interventions in post-socialist societies, the conference will provide
an
opportunity to discuss the mechanisms and structures of these changes,
and
the capabilities of actors and institutions to bring about effective
actions
to address social inequalities and inequities. The conference will not
collapse into economic determinism, social fatalism, political cynicism
and
moral relativism, but rather will explore feasible strategies for the
construction of alternative frameworks of economy and culture to that
which
are usually offered and represented by neo-liberals and post-modernists.

This conference will be a major event bringing together participants
from
many different countries, and leading to a publication of the best
papers.
It will draw upon the aims and the success established at the Critical
Sociology Conference at Tbilisi State University in June 2002. In
addressing
many of the themes that were developed at the previous conference, we
shall
also confront new challenges and issues. Consequently, we wish to
attract
participants from the Critical Sociology Network (CSN), who will further

develop the network's goals, and welcome non-CSN members who will offer
a
distinct and significant contribution to the conference and the network.

Applicants are invited to submit a one-page A4 proposal and a short
biography. The conference will be bi-lingual, English and Russian, and
consist of 20-minute presentations.

The deadline is 20 February 2003. Please send your application to either

Balihar Sanghera or Tanya Yarkova <bishkekconference@yahoo.co.uk>.

Participants from the post-soviet countries and regions will be provided

with boarding and lodging facilities free of cost.

American University - Central Asia
Web: <www.auk.kg>

Civic Education Project
<www.cep.org.hu>