[Discussion] CfP: Oral History in (post)Socialist Societies, Freiburg/Breisgau, Germany

Sun, 20 Feb 2005 03:29:58 +0200

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_008F_01C516FC.741F86C0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-9"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

"Oral History in (post)socialist societies"
3=AD5 November 2005, Freiburg/Breisgau, Germany

Oral History provides a valuable and unique contribution to the =
investigation of societies in the former socialist states =AD before and =
after the collapse of communism. Although many researchers now work with =
biographical interviews (e.g. on Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic =
Republic, Hungary, the Soviet Union, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia), there has =
been only limited international exchange on the methods, aims and =
results of Oral History concerning the analysis of socialist societies =
in Europe until 1989/91. The conference offers a platform for the =
discussion of methods, content and research strategies and aims to =
consolidate (first) results.

The following issues will be focussed:

- What can we learn from Oral History interviews about the functioning =
of socialist societies (with reference to social relations, networks, =
gender relations, family structures, alternative cultures, etc.)?

- What do interviews reveal about the non-functioning and final =
implosion of socialist societies?

- How are collective and individual identities constructed in narrative =
interviews (beyond the changes due to political transition)?

- Which forms of biographical communication and narrative tradition were =
characteristic in socialist societies? What role did national or =
regional narrative cultures play? Can they be distinguished from =
'socialist' biographical patterns of communication?

- What role did =AD and do =AD oral narratives play in the memory =
culture of socialist and post-socialist societies? In how far has =
'transition' altered collective memory?

- Which methods do we use in conducting, evaluating and interpreting =
interviews? What can we conclude from recent results in neurology, =
memory research, discourse analysis and other fields, in relation to =
Oral History interviews?

- How can Eastern European History contribute to the further development =
of methods relevant to Oral History?

The conference programme will consist of four to five sections, each =
with three to four speakers and one discussant. The conference languages =
will be German and English. Mutual translation will be provided. Since =
we would like to allow plenty of time for discussion, the presentations =
should not extend beyond 30 minutes.
The conference will be held in the Haus Wiesneck conference centre in =
the beautiful surroundings of Freiburg/Breisgau, not far from the =
Himmelreich train station. The tranquil location will allow us to fully =
concentrate on our work, and also offers the possibility for outdoor =
relaxation. There will be enough time after the conference for a short =
trip to Freiburg.

Please send a paper proposal (maximum one page) no later than 25 March =
2005. Presentations should clarify the theoretical basis of research as =
well as the methodological approach. Both should be included in the =
proposal.=20

The papers will be published in a conference volume.

Organisation:

Albert-Ludwigs-Universit=E4t Freiburg
Dr. Julia Obertreis
Historisches Seminar
Lehrstuhl f=FCr Neuere und Osteurop=E4ische Geschichte
Tel.: +49-(0)761 / 203-3441
Fax: +49-(0)761 / 203-9190
julia.obertreis@geschichte.uni-freiburg.de

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit=E4t M=FCnchen
Dr. des. Anke Stephan
Historisches Seminar
Abteilung f=FCr Geschichte Ost- und S=FCdosteuropas
Tel.: +49-(0)89 / 2180-1486
Fax: +49-(0)89 / 2180-5656
anke.stephan@lrz.uni-muenchen.de

Please send your paper proposal to:
anke.stephan@lrz.uni-muenchen.de

------=_NextPart_000_008F_01C516FC.741F86C0
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-9"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-9">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1479" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DSylfaen color=3D#008000><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" =

color=3D#000000>"Oral History in (post)socialist societies" 3&shy;5 =
November=20
2005, Freiburg/Breisgau, Germany Oral History provides a valuable =
and=20
unique contribution to the investigation of societies in the former =
socialist=20
states &shy; before and after the collapse of communism. Although many=20
researchers now work with biographical interviews (e.g. on =
Czechoslovakia, the=20
German Democratic Republic, Hungary, the Soviet Union, Bulgaria and =
Yugoslavia),=20
there has been only limited international exchange on the methods, aims =
and=20
results of Oral History concerning the analysis of socialist societies =
in Europe=20
until 1989/91. The conference offers a platform for the discussion of =
methods,=20
content and research strategies and aims to consolidate (first)=20
results. The following issues will be focussed: - What can =
we=20
learn from Oral History interviews about the functioning of socialist =
societies=20
(with reference to social relations, networks, gender relations, family=20
structures, alternative cultures, etc.)? - What do interviews =
reveal=20
about the non-functioning and final implosion of socialist =
societies? -=20
How are collective and individual identities constructed in narrative =
interviews=20
(beyond the changes due to political transition)? - Which forms =
of=20
biographical communication and narrative tradition were characteristic =
in=20
socialist societies? What role did national or regional narrative =
cultures play?=20
Can they be distinguished from 'socialist' biographical patterns of=20
communication? - What role did &shy; and do &shy; oral narratives =
play in=20
the memory culture of socialist and post-socialist societies? In how far =
has=20
'transition' altered collective memory? - Which methods do we use =
in=20
conducting, evaluating and interpreting interviews? What can we conclude =
from=20
recent results in neurology, memory research, discourse analysis and =
other=20
fields, in relation to Oral History interviews? - How can Eastern =

European History contribute to the further development of methods =
relevant to=20
Oral History? The conference programme will consist of four to =
five=20
sections, each with three to four speakers and one discussant. The =
conference=20
languages will be German and English. Mutual translation will be =
provided. Since=20
we would like to allow plenty of time for discussion, the presentations =
should=20
not extend beyond 30 minutes. The conference will be held in the Haus =

Wiesneck conference centre in the beautiful surroundings of =
Freiburg/Breisgau,=20
not far from the Himmelreich train station. The tranquil location will =
allow us=20
to fully concentrate on our work, and also offers the possibility for =
outdoor=20
relaxation. There will be enough time after the conference for a short =
trip to=20
Freiburg.<BR><BR>Please send a paper proposal (maximum one page) no =
later than=20
25 March 2005. Presentations should clarify the theoretical basis of =
research as=20
well as the methodological approach. Both should be included in the =
proposal.=20
<BR><BR>The papers will be published in a conference=20
volume.<BR><BR>Organisation:<BR><BR>Albert-Ludwigs-Universit=E4t =
Freiburg<BR>Dr.=20
Julia Obertreis<BR>Historisches Seminar<BR>Lehrstuhl f=FCr Neuere und=20
Osteurop=E4ische Geschichte<BR>Tel.: +49-(0)761 / 203-3441<BR>Fax: =
+49-(0)761 /=20
203-9190<BR></FONT><A=20
href=3D"mailto:julia.obertreis@geschichte.uni-freiburg.de"><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New =
Roman">julia.obertreis@geschichte.uni-freiburg.de</FONT></A><BR><BR><BR><=
FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" =
color=3D#000000>Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit=E4t=20
M=FCnchen<BR>Dr. des. Anke Stephan<BR>Historisches Seminar<BR>Abteilung =
f=FCr=20
Geschichte Ost- und S=FCdosteuropas<BR>Tel.: +49-(0)89 / =
2180-1486<BR>Fax:=20
+49-(0)89 / 2180-5656<BR></FONT><A=20
href=3D"mailto:anke.stephan@lrz.uni-muenchen.de"><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New =
Roman">anke.stephan@lrz.uni-muenchen.de</FONT></A><BR><BR><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" color=3D#000000>Please send your paper proposal =

to:<BR></FONT><A href=3D"mailto:anke.stephan@lrz.uni-muenchen.de"><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New =
Roman">anke.stephan@lrz.uni-muenchen.de</FONT></A><BR><BR></FONT></DIV></=
BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_008F_01C516FC.741F86C0--