Lecture with IHC’s 2024 Visiting Scholar Lavinia Maddaluno, on the socio-economic, cultural, scientific, technological, and medical responses to the expansion of rice cultivation in northern Italy.

 

Rice: ersatz, cultural artifact, object of knowledge, unruly crop

 

A dietary mainstay in non-European societies and a cornerstone of dishes like Northern Italian risotto, rice has diverse culinary significance. However, the timing of its introduction to Northern Italy remains unclear. Examining this event offers insights into the process of integrating new crops into both diet and cultural imagination. This talk is about the socio-economic, cultural, scientific, technological, and medical responses to the expansion of rice cultivation in northern Italy between the sixteenth and the eighteenth/early nineteenth centuries. Bringing together the history of knowledge and environmental history, in this talk I will reflect on how rice was appropriated by several actors, and on how these appropriations were intertwined with perceptions and constructions of the landscape and material environment. By interlacing narratives of rice cultivation and of the landscapes rice forms, alongside discussions of infrastructural development and knowledge systems, I will also delineate the progression of interactions between humans and their environments, as well as the evolution of water management practices, scientific advancements, medical understandings, and political-economic ideologies across different historical periods. Additionally, the talk will highlight how resources were conceptualized in the early modern period, reconnecting to contemporary debates on the Anthropocene and on the agency of non-humans.

 

About IHC’s 2024 Visiting Scholar:
Lavinia Maddaluno is Assistant Professor in early modern history at the Department of Humanities at Ca’ Foscari, Venice, working on David Gentilcore’s ERC project The Water Cultures of Italy 1500-1900. She is a historian of science interested in exploring the nexus between humans, nature and economy in early modern Europe. Lavinia has just completed her first monograph Science and political Economy in Enlightenment Milan (1760-1805), forthcoming with the Voltaire Foundation in autumn 2024. She is currently editing a book on rice in the Mediterranean with Rachele Scuro and a special issue on Water Knowledge with Giacomo Savani and Davide Martino. Lavinia has held multiple fellowships since the end of her PhD (Cambridge UK, 2018), from a Rome Fellowship at the British School at Rome, to a Max Weber Fellowship at the EUI and a joint Warburg/I Tatti Fellowship in the History of Science. More recently, she has been Fellow at the Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme and the Fondazione Einaudi, working on a new project on rice-related knowledge networks between France and Italy in the Enlightenment.

 

Attendance is free.

 

 

Meeting organised by the VINCULUM project with the aim to discuss topics at the confluence of History and Archival Science, with a particular focus on archives and historic houses.

 

History and Archival Science:

common issues in the construction of complex knowledge

 

On 19 and 20 July, Palácio Fronteira (Lisbon) will host the meeting History and Archival Science: common issues in the construction of complex knowledge, organised by the VINCULUM project. The aim of this event is to discuss topics at the confluence of History and Archival Science, with a particular focus on archives and historic houses.

The meeting will bring together national and international researchers, as well as organisations linked to tourism and cultural and archival heritage. Session 1, on the first day, will be dedicated to the study of archives as integrating institutions and enablers of a History in process. On the second day, Session 2 will discuss family archives and historic houses, analysing the importance of maintaining, preserving and promoting family archives, whether public or private. In this context, historic houses are also particularly important, not only because they shelter many of these archives, but also due to their valuable role in promoting tourism and the preservation of cultural heritage.

 

Keynote: Eric Ketelaar, Emeritus Professor of Archivistics at the University of Amsterdam

 

>> Programme (PDF, in Portuguese) <<

 

 

Research seminar with IHC’s 2024 Visiting Scholar Lavinia Maddaluno, on a case of hydraulic intervention in rural areas of northern Italy.

 

Perpetuating private property:

machines and hydraulics at the time of the Enlightenment

 

This paper considers a case of hydraulic intervention in some rural areas of the Duchy of Milan under Joseph II (1780s). It explores how practical and philosophical considerations shaped improvement projects, and how these intersected with the consolidation of private property, and an increase in productivity. More specifically, the paper reconstructs the not well-known case of the hydraulic pump made by the idraulico (expert in hydraulics) Carlo Castelli to reclaim lands in the northern-eastern areas of Lake Como. However, this paper is not only about a local project of land reclamation, rather also dealing with the function of material artefacts in revealing contemporary attitudes towards technology, natural and social order. How did institutions and naturalists conceive technical intervention on nature? Which were the political economic connotations of the practice of emulation of techniques? And how did institutions and experts in hydraulics philosophically address technical failure and errors at the time of the Enlightenment? Despite receiving governmental investments and support to build his machine, Castelli failed at his project of land-reclamation. The paper will thus also use this case study to reconsider the public and social role of technology itself, as well as of emulation at the time of enlightened reforms.

 

Comments by Ricardo Noronha and José Miguel Ferreira (IHC — NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST).

 

About IHC’s 2024 Visiting Scholar:
Lavinia Maddaluno is Assistant Professor in early modern history at the Department of Humanities at Ca’ Foscari, Venice, working on David Gentilcore’s ERC project The Water Cultures of Italy 1500-1900. She is a historian of science interested in exploring the nexus between humans, nature and economy in early modern Europe. Lavinia has just completed her first monograph Science and political Economy in Enlightenment Milan (1760-1805), forthcoming with the Voltaire Foundation in autumn 2024. She is currently editing a book on rice in the Mediterranean with Rachele Scuro and a special issue on Water Knowledge with Giacomo Savani and Davide Martino. Lavinia has held multiple fellowships since the end of her PhD (Cambridge UK, 2018), from a Rome Fellowship at the British School at Rome, to a Max Weber Fellowship at the EUI and a joint Warburg/I Tatti Fellowship in the History of Science. More recently, she has been Fellow at the Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme and the Fondazione Einaudi, working on a new project on rice-related knowledge networks between France and Italy in the Enlightenment.

 

The seminar requires prior registration by 17 July via miguelcarmo@fcsh.unl.pt.
Registrants will receive a chapter from the author’s book (to be published after the summer) on which the seminar discussion will focus. For a presentation of the book, see this link.

 

 

 

Part of the 2024 edition of the NOVA FCSH Summer School, this course will provide an introduction to the methodologies of Digital Humanities and Spatial Humanities.

 

Trazer a análise espacial para as Humanidades

 

Docentes: Joana Paulino e Alba Comino

Datas e Horários: 2 a 12 de Setembro | 2 e 3 de Setembro, das 10h00 às 12h00; dias 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 e 12 de Setembro, das 10h00 às 13h00

Duração: 25h

Modalidade: presencial

 

Objectivos:

Será feita uma apresentação aos alunos sobre os debates relativos às Humanidades Digitais e, particularmente, sobre as Humanidades Espaciais, ponderando os conceitos, as suas potencialidades e desafios. Conhecerão algumas das metodologias utilizadas, desenvolvendo uma perspetiva crítica de ferramentas para a visualização de dados espaciais nas Ciências Sociais e Humanidades. As ferramentas apresentadas permitirão diferentes abordagens, como a anotação de entidades espaciais em fontes textuais, a geolocalização, a criação de storymaps, e a produção de cartografia histórica com um Sistema de Informação Geográfica. No final do curso, os alunos desenvolverão um projeto de investigação de Humanidades Espaciais, refletindo sobre o processo e resultados alcançados.

 

Programa resumido:

1. Abordagem teórica às Humanidades Digitais e às Humanidades Espaciais.
2. Ferramentas de análise espacial, aplicação prática e avaliação crítica.
3. Desenvolvimento de um projeto de investigação em Humanidades Espaciais.

 

 

🔗 Mais informações e inscrições

 

 

Conference that aims to promote a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and revitalized discussion on football fandom and supporter culture.

 

The Chorus of the Crowd:

Culture, Power, and Identities in Football Fandom

 

 

Framework

Football fan cultures have developed in tandem with the massification and organization of football, responding to various ideas, aesthetics, and attitudes that are shaped by the particularities of historical, social, and cultural contexts. As one of the largest ongoing global social movements, football fandom blends individual and collective performances, thereby shaping identities and fostering a sense of belonging. It simultaneously assumes an omnipresent role within modern societies, especially in urban and public/semi-public spaces.

This conference arises from the desire to promote a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and revitalized discussion on football fandom and supporter culture. The objective is not merely to share case studies that deepen our understanding of these social practices, but also to reflect on the intricate ways in which they interact with various aspects of the contemporary world. By shifting our initial analytical focus to fans’ commitment and involvement with and/or within their clubs, we can gain a fresh perspective on what we can perceive as the constitutive processes of contemporary communities.

With this in mind, we are prioritizing three thematic lines for this conference: a) Football Fans, Political Institutions, and Social Organizations: the study of how supporters relate to and interact with clubs as political and social institutions, with special attention to symbolic disputes and negotiated power dynamics; b) Virtues, Beliefs, Values, and Supporters’ Lifeworld: the analysis of the connections and networks that tie football fans/supporter cultures to specific political, social, and/or religious virtues, beliefs, or values; and c) Classifications, Categorizations, and Representations of Football Fandom: the research into how different institutions and organizations, along with their knowledge production, institutional practices, and cultivated discourses have influenced or been involved in classifying, defining, and even transforming football fan cultures and landscapes throughout history.

 

Keynote speakers

Anastassia Tsoukala (Université Paris-Saclay)
Christian Bromberger (Aix-Marseille Université)

 

Attendance

We will be hosting 30 papers from several researchers from all parts of the world and two keynote speeches from fundamental scholars during the span of two days — 5 and 6 September, in Lisbon. We will divide our hybrid format program between the Campolide Campus (NOVA FCSH) and SL Benfica Museum. Entrance for the general public is free and does not require mandatory registration when at Campolide Campus (all day 5 September and the morning of 6 September). However, if you wish to attend the sessions and the final keynote speech held at SL Benfica Museum (afternoon of 6 September), please fill out this 🔗 brief form. If you also want to receive a link prior to the conference for private ZOOM access (only available for the NOVA FCSH/Campolide Campus sessions), please fill out the form as well.

If you need more clarification or have other questions, please contact us at: footballfandom.conference2024@gmail.com.

We anticipate that this conference will provide an opportunity to bring together scholars, junior researchers, and sports history enthusiasts, creating a vibrant platform for learning, knowledge sharing, and collaboration. Join the crowd and participate!

 

>> Programme (PDF) <<

 

 

---

 

Call for papers

 

Football fan cultures have developed in tandem with the massification and organization of football, responding to various ideas, aesthetics, and attitudes that are shaped by the particularities of historical, social, or cultural contexts. As one of the largest continuing global social movements, football fandom blends individual and collective performances, thereby shaping identities and fostering a sense of belonging, while simultaneously assuming an omnipresent role within modern societies as a whole, but particularly in the urban and public/semi-public spaces.

Since the 1980s, a series of critical incidents prompted governments and, subsequently, researchers to scrutinize the practices of football fans. This scrutiny has led to a body of literature that has systematized its perspectives into four key areas of focus:

• An analysis of fan cultures as organized collectives, encompassing an exploration of the associated violence;
• A study of cultural expressions originating from fans and the social construction of taxonomies that categorize these fan subcultures;
• Research observing the relationships between fans, commodification of sports, globalization, and consumption within the framework of the capitalist and/or neo-liberal economic model;
• An examination of the connections between football fan cultures and several socio-political categories, with particular emphasis on nationalism and masculinity.

This conference arises from the desire to promote a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and revitalized discussion on football fandom and supporter culture. The objective is not merely to share case studies deepening our understanding of these social practices already outlined into the advocated four key areas of focus, but also to reflect on the intricate ways in which they interact with various aspects of the current world. Shifting our initial analytical focus to fans’ commitment and involvement with their clubs can offer a fresh perspective on what we can perceive as the constitutive processes of contemporary communities. With this in mind, we propose prioritizing three thematic lines for this conference:

• Football Fans, Political Institutions, and Social Organizations: the study of how supporters relate to and interact with clubs as political and social institutions, with special attention to symbolic disputes and negotiated power dynamics. This may include likewise the inquiry of the associations between supporters, football governance and leaderships (and their styles, modes of legitimation, etc.), but also the modes of participation, resistance, activism, and community building as response to on-going disputes;
• Virtues, Beliefs, Values, and Supporters’ Lifeworld: the analysis of the connections and networks that tie football fans/supporter cultures to specific political, social, and/or religious virtues, beliefs, or values. Moreover, this might comprise the exploration of the links concerning fandom, history and collective memory. Thus, for example, the stories football fans like to tell about themselves as devotees of a certain club or even the narratives of social recognition that are built by diverse supporter groups within each club can help us expand our understanding of the previously mentioned connections.
• Classifications, Categorizations, and Representations of Football Fandom: the research into how different institutions and organizations (such as the state, businesses, or media, and some of which are yet to be mapped), along with their knowledge production, institutional practices, and cultivated discourses have influenced or been involved in classifying, defining, and even transforming football fan cultures and landscapes throughout history. This could additionally embrace studies that aim to establish connections between the proposed thematic line and topics such like gender relations, as well as venues and atmospheres.

 

We believe that encouraging contributions from diverse research fields allows for a comprehensive understanding of this multifaceted phenomenon. This approach extends beyond fringe experiences, such as hooliganism, to embrace everyday fan practices, supporters’ performances, and their subjectivities in historical perspective. Therefore, we invite interested applicants to submit their proposals contemplating at least one of the aforementioned thematic lines.

We also anticipate that this conference will provide an opportunity to bring together scholars, junior researchers, and sports history enthusiasts, creating a vibrant platform for learning, knowledge sharing, and collaboration.

Please submit a Word document with a title and a 500-word abstract (maximum), along with a brief biographical note. The call for submissions will be open from 28 December 2023 to 28 March 2024. Accepted papers should then aim for a 20-minute presentation. Notification of accepted submissions (and other relevant information) will be announced by the end of May 2024. The final conference program is expected to be fully disclosed in June 2024. The publication of a special issue in a peer-reviewed journal is also planned after the conference.

The event is scheduled to span two days, specifically on 5 and 6 September 2024, in Lisbon, Portugal. Our conference will embrace a hybrid format, offering sessions both in-person and online; nevertheless, emphasizing our event’s collaborative spirit, we strongly encourage your on-site participation. The working language will be English. To submit abstracts and for any questions, please send an e-mail to: footballfandom.conference2024@gmail.com.

 

>> Download the call for papers (PDF) <<

 

 

Organizing and Coordination Team

 

Rahul Kumar (Institute of Contemporary History — NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities / IN2PAST)
João Sedas Nunes (CICS.NOVA – Interdisciplinary Centre of Social Sciences — NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities)
Gil Gonçalves (Institute of Contemporary History — NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities / IN2PAST)
Daniel Freire Santos (Institute of Contemporary History — NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities / IN2PAST)
Carolina Nascimento de Oliveira (History Territories Communities — NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities Hub of the Centre for Functional Ecology)
Iara Sobral (School of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon)

 

 

 

 

Third edition of the IHC Summer School in Évora. Two training days dedicated to the history of museum collections, their formation, itineraries and actors involved.

 

IHC Summer School 2024

 

Por que é tão importante o 25 Abril de 1974?

Património, Comemorações e Memorialização

 

A edição da Summer School 2024 do Instituto de História Contemporânea pretende confirmar-se como um espaço de intercâmbio, debate e formação com especialistas de museus, investigadores e investigadoras, e instituições nacionais e internacionais.

Sob a moldura histórica da cidade de Évora, que será Capital Europeia da Cultura em 2027, e num ano em que se comemoram os 50 anos da Revolução de Abril e (em 2025) das independências e descolonização, centraremos esta edição em múltiplas questões relacionadas com o património e a musealização de revoluções e resistências, e o papel dos territórios, das comunidades, das memórias e das emoções em todo este processo.

 

Público-alvo:
Estudantes do Ensino Superior (1.º, 2.º e 3.º Ciclos); quadros de museus (ex.: curadores/as, investigadores/as, responsáveis de serviços educativos); funcionários/as de serviços culturais públicos (ex.: autarquias e serviços de dinamização cultural) e privados (ex.: fundações e casas-museu); professores/as do Ensino Secundário e dos 2.º e 3.o Ciclos do Ensino Básico; público em geral.

Organização:
Instituto de História Contemporânea — Pólo da Universidade de Évora

Comissão Científica: Ana Cristina Martins, Ana Bigotte Vieira, Cláudia Ninhos, Catarina Simões, Elisabete Pereira, Raquel Ribeiro
Comissão Executiva: Paula Gentil Santos, Diana Barbosa, Dilar Cascalheira

 

>> 📎 PROGRAMA e EDITAL das BOLSAS (PDF) <<

 

 

Inscrições:

 

Valor da inscrição:

Estudantes (até 2 de Setembro de 2024): 10 €
Estudantes (a partir de 3 de Setembro de 2024): 15 €
Outros participantes (até 2 de Setembro de 2024): 25 €
Outros participantes (a partir de 3 de Setembro de 2024): 35 €

O pagamento deve ser feito por transferência bancária para a conta abaixo indicada e o comprovativo remetido por e-mail para summerschool.ihc@fcsh.unl.pt, indicando “Inscrição IHC Summer School 2022” no assunto e o nome do inscrito/a no corpo do email.

NIB/IBAN: PT50 0781 0112 0000 0006 3998 0
BIC/SWIFT: IGCPPTPL

 

 

Bolsas de estudo:

 

A Direcção do IHC decidiu atribuir bolsas a estudantes de 1.º, 2.º e 3.º Ciclos do Ensino Superior, para pagamento do alojamento e inscrição na IHC Summer School 2024. O objectivo deste apoio é incentivar a participação de estudantes, de forma a integrar e a sensibilizar jovens investigadores/as em actividades de debate e de prática científica na área temática do curso.

Formalização de candidaturas:

Email dirigido à Presidente de Júri com os seguintes documentos em anexo (formato PDF):

a) Curriculum vitae resumido (500 palavras máximo)
b) Carta de motivação, evidenciando o interesse da IHC Summer School para os estudos académicos em curso ou em perspectiva (500 palavras máximo)

As candidaturas devem ser remetidas para o email summerschool.ihc@fcsh.unl.pt até às 23h59 do dia 22 de Julho de 2024.

Os resultados serão divulgados no dia 29 de Julho de 2024.

Critérios de Avaliação:

Curriculum vitae (50%) e carta de motivação (50%)

Membros do Júri:

Ana Cristina Martins — Presidente
Ana Bigotte Vieira — Vice-presidente
Catarina Simões, Cláudia Ninhos, Elisabete Pereira, Raquel Ribeiro — Vogais

 

 

Congress dedicated to discussing and publicising José (Zeca) Afonso’s activities, which will bring together specialists dedicated to studying the various facets of his work as well as collaborators and friends of the singer. Deadline: 15 June 2024

 

Congresso Internacional José Afonso

 

José Afonso é uma das maiores referências da nossa cultura contemporânea, cuja obra importa conhecer e divulgar. A profunda ligação de José Afonso à cidade de Setúbal e desta àquele impõem o destaque que lhe é dado nestas comemorações dos 50 anos do 25 de Abril. Neste sentido, realizar-se-á um congresso dedicado à discussão e divulgação das várias actividades de José Afonso (1929-1987), que reúna tanto especialistas dedicados ao estudo das várias facetas da sua obra como colaboradores e amigos do cantor, em sessões testemunhais. Para além da discussão em torno da sua prática musical, pretende-se que este evento aborde um extenso conjunto de temas, contemplando a sua intervenção cívica antes, durante e depois do período revolucionário de 1974-75, em defesa da liberdade e da democracia.

De forma a atrair diferentes públicos interessados no legado de José Afonso, assim como amigos e participantes activos nas várias facetas do seu percurso, este congresso prevê sessões testemunhais, organizadas tematicamente; conferências e apresentação de comunicações, por convite e por propostas avaliadas por uma comissão científica.

Desta forma, pretende-se que este evento constitua uma oportunidade, até hoje inédita, de amplo cruzamento de vários saberes sobre o percurso de José Afonso, procurando intersectar a investigação académica com outros campos dedicados à preservação e divulgação da memória do cantor. O Congresso incluirá ainda outras actividades, como exposições ou sessões musicais. Pretende-se também que a realização deste congresso estimule a localização e recolha de documentação e material fonográfico relacionado com José Afonso para posterior preservação.

 

 

Chamada para comunicações

 

As propostas de comunicação deverão ser enviadas em ficheiro MSWord para o endereço de email congressojoseafonso@gmail.com, até 15 de Junho de 2024, com os seguintes elementos:

– Título da comunicação
– Resumo até 3000 caracteres (incluindo espaços)
– Biografia abreviada até 1500 caracteres (incluindo espaços)

A comunicação da aceitação de propostas será feita individualmente por email até ao final de Julho. Para mais informações, contactar congressojoseafonso@gmail.com

 

Objectivos:

• Proporcionar espaços de reflexão sobre a vida e obra de José Afonso;
• Mobilizar a comunidade científica nacional e internacional no sentido de aprofundar a investigação acerca de José Afonso;
• Dinamizar a produção de recursos científicos e pedagógicos susceptíveis de utilização em contexto educativo;
• Contribuir para a divulgação de trabalhos científicos e pedagógicos já realizados neste âmbito;

 

Temáticas a abordar:

• Fado de Coimbra e contexto académico
• As primeiras baladas e a viragem para a década de 1960
• O impacto dos anos de Moçambique em José Afonso
• Actividade na editora Orfeu e as transformações nos processos de produção fonográfica entre as décadas de 1960 e 1980
• Os aparelhos repressivos e a actividade de José Afonso (censura, vigilância policial, prisões, e.o.)
• Intervenção artística e política de José Afonso antes e depois do 25 de Abril
• Cooperativismo artístico e novas formas de edição discográfica pós-25 de Abril
• Articulação entre a obra de José Afonso e outros universos geográficos
• Presença e repercussão internacional de José Afonso
• Últimos anos de actividade (década de 1980) e respectivo panorama social e político
• Dimensão poética e literária da obra de José Afonso
• Influências culturais e filosóficas em José Afonso
• Ligação a outras actividades artísticas (teatro, cinema, e.o.)
• José Afonso e o ensino
• A mulher na obra de José Afonso

 

>> Descarregar a chamada para comunicações (PDF) <<

 

 

Comissão Organizadora

 

Albérico Afonso (IHC — NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST)
Hugo Castro (INET-md — NOVA FCSH / AJA)
João Madeira (IHC — NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST / AJA)
Nuno Lopes (Câmara Municipal de Setúbal)
Ricardo Andrade (INET-md — NOVA FCSH / AJA)

 

 

Comissão Científica

 

João Madeira (IHC — NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST / AJA)
Hugo Castro (INET-md — NOVA FCSH)
Albérico Afonso (IHC— NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST)
Ricardo Andrade (INET-md — NOVA FCSH)
Manuel Deniz Silva (INET-md — NOVA FCSH)
Luís Trindade (IHC — NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST)
Fernanda Rollo (HTC — NOVA FCSH)
Salwa Castelo-Branco (INET-md)
Rui Vieira Nery (INET-md — NOVA FCSH)
Mário Vieira de Carvalho (CESEM)
Dulce Simões (INET-md)
Domingos Morais (IELT)

 

Instituições parceiras

 

Associação José Afonso
Câmara Municipal de Setúbal
INET-md — Instituto de Etnomusicologia – Centro de Estudos em Música e Dança
Instituto de História Contemporânea
Centro de Estudos e Documentação José Mário Branco – Música e Liberdade
História, Territórios e Comunidades (pólo de Lisboa do Centro de Ecologia Funcional – Ciência para as Pessoas e o Planeta)
Observatório da Canção de Protesto

 

 

Colloquium that aims to extend the discussion on the camp form from a historical perspective, as well as the different practices of colonial incarceration. Deadline: 10 August

 

Spaces of Confinement:

Memories of Repression and Coloniality

 

Last May 1st marked the 50th anniversary (1974-2024) of the liberation of prisoners held in the Tarrafal Concentration Camp on the island of Santiago in Cape Verde. This camp was founded by the Salazar dictatorship in 1936 under the euphemistic name of ‘Cape Verde Penal Colony’ with the purpose of imprisoning the opponents of Salazarism. From 1936 to 1954, hundreds of Portuguese prisoners were confined to Tarrafal for political reasons; and hundreds more from the colonies were confined from 1961 to 1974 because they fought for the independence of their country in Africa. Torture, illness, death, censorship, forced labour and other repressive practices characterized the regime of confinement in Tarrafal (Barros 2009). From this point of view, the history of this prison should be seen as part of the global policies of colonial confinement and political violence that dictatorial regimes carried out in different parts of the world throughout the 20th century. Furthermore, this colonial confinement needs to be seen as part of the global history of European imperial expansion and colonialisms (Coates
2001; Bernault 2003; Vansina 2003; Havik, Janeiro, Oliveira & Pimentel 2021; Bruce-Lockhart 2022; Angelo 2023).

Detentions (as a practice of control) and segregation (as a mechanism for generating differences) were exercised in spaces instituted as ‘exceptions’ (Agamben 1996) and as instruments for managing people considered to be ‘surplus’ or dangerous to the dominant order. The concept of camp form suggested by Federico Rahola in a 2007 implies a reinterpretation of colonial and post-colonial confinements, both from the perspective of their duration and the contemporary adaptation of detention practices, including what Didier Fassin calls ‘precarious transnational nomads – refugees or migrants, asylum seekers or foreigners in an irregular situation’ (Fassin 2021). That is to say, the spaces and cultures of confinement (Dikötter & Brown 2007; Morelle, Le Marcis & Hornberger 2021) reveal a lot about the geographies of exclusion and inequality (Gilmore 2023).

Taking as memorial reference the 88th anniversary of the opening of the Tarrafal colonial prison in Cape Verde (29 October 1936 – 29 October 2024), this International Colloquium aims to extend the debate on the old and new practices of confinement, in their multiple declinations and modalities. On the one hand, it aims to extend the discussion on the camp form from a historical perspective, as well as the different practices of colonial incarceration. On the other hand, the purpose of this Colloquium is to reflect in a broad and transdisciplinary way on the spaces, memories, narratives and experiences of detention, and how their legacies mark the genealogy of contemporary practices of detention. In this context, we call for proposals that dialogue with these and other related topics:

• Colonial confinement experiences
• Memories and narratives of detention
• Prison and political repression
• Colonial and post-colonial violence in the field
• Arts, violence, narratives and representations of confinement
• Prisons, resistance strategies and transnational networks of struggle
• Archipelagos of confinement: political prisons, penal colonies, forced labour camps, refugee camps
• Spaces and forms of confinement – comparative perspectives
• Memory policies, reappropriations, ways of reusing spaces of colonial confinement
• Racialised spaces and the compartmentalisation of difference

 

Proposals (title, author, institutional affiliation, and an abstract of no more than 200 words) must be sent by 10 August 2024 to liviaapa@gmail.com and vbarros@fcsh.unl.pt. Accepted proposals will be communicated no later than 1 September 2024. Abstracts and presentations can be in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish.

The Colloquium will take place on 29 and 30 October 2024 at the Aljube Museum, in Lisbon, Portugal.

 

>> Download the call for papers (PDF) <<

 

 

Organisation

 

Livia Apa (CEsac-Unior – Centro Studi sull’Africa Contemporanea, Università di Napoli)
Víctor Barros (IHC — NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST)

 

 

Scientific Committee

 

Anaïs Angelo (University of Vienna)
Aurora Almada e Santos (IHC — NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST)
Camille Evrard (CNRS–IMAF & Université de Toulouse Jean Jaurès)
Catarina Madeira Santos (IMAF & École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales)
Federico Rahola (Università degli Studi di Genova)
Florence Bernault (SciencesPo – Centre for History)
Francesco Correale (CNRS–UMR 7324 CITERES – Université de Tours)
Laura Routley (Newcastle University)
Maria Conceição Neto (Universidade Agostinho Neto)
Miguel Mellino (Università degli Studi di Napoli « L’Orientale »)
Pedro Aires Oliveira (IHC — NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST)
Romain Tiquet (CNRS & Centre Marc Bloch)

 

Photo: Tarrafal Concentration Camp, 2015 (Carlos Oliveira Reis / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

 

The eighth edition of the congress, which aims to emphasise the importance of local history in contemporary historiography. Deadline: 24 July 2024

 

VIII Congresso de História Local:

Conceitos, Práticas e Desafios na Contemporaneidade

 

 

O VIII Congresso de História Local aspira acompanhar e estimular a renovação historiográfica em curso; assim, dá continuidade aos propósitos e dinâmicas iniciados em 2017, proporcionando um espaço de divulgação, de partilha e de problematização para todos quantos se dedicam a este ramo da historiografia, em diálogo permanente com a historiografia nacional e internacional. Tal como nas edições anteriores, o encontro pretende continuar a ser um contexto privilegiado para a reflexão sobre o conceito, as metodologias e as práticas da história local; por extensão, constitui-se como uma oportunidade para troca de experiências.

Do mesmo modo, os princípios subjacentes à organização do congresso fomentam a intervenção de estudantes de último ano de licenciatura e de primeiro de mestrado, com o intuito de obterem as primeiras experiências no meio académico.

O encontro de 2024 será acolhido pela Câmara Municipal de Vila Nova de Famalicão, em parceria com o projecto educativo e cultural “De Famalicão para o Mundo: Contributos da História Local”. Seguindo o modelo dos eventos anteriores, esta edição contará com um painel exclusivamente dedicado à História deste município. Nesse sentido, convidam-se os historiadores, professores, investigadores e demais estudiosos da região a submeterem comunicações dedicadas à História de Vila Nova de Famalicão.

 

 

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Chamada para comunicações

 

Convidam-se os interessados/as a apresentarem propostas de comunicação no domínio da história local, subordinadas à evolução analítica de comunidades e enquadradas pelas especificidades metodológicas e epistemológicas que caracterizam este campo de estudos. As propostas de comunicação sobre a História Local na contemporaneidade podem ser concebidas em torno dos seguintes eixos temáticos, sem exclusão de outros tópicos:

• Transformações sociais e culturais;
• Imprensa local;
• Dinâmicas laborais e conflituosidade social;
• Reflexões sobre a teoria e metodologias da História Local;
• A importância da História Local no ensino secundário e superior;
• Temas e trabalhos subordinados à história de uma região;
• História e Comunidade(s);
• Elite(s) e Personalidades;
• Municípios e Poder Local;
• Instituições e associações locais;
• Organização, resistência e violência política na história local;
• A história das mulheres em contexto local.

 

Seguindo o modelo dos eventos anteriores, esta edição contará com um painel exclusivamente dedicado à História deste município. Nesse sentido, convidam-se os historiadores, professores, investigadores e demais estudiosos da região a submeterem comunicações dedicadas à História de Vila Nova de Famalicão.

 

Envio de propostas

As propostas não deverão exceder os 3500 caracteres e contemplar o título do trabalho e uma biografia resumida do autor (máximo 750 caracteres). As comunicações aceites resultarão em apresentações de 15 minutos.

Línguas de trabalho: Português e Inglês (não haverá interpretação simultânea).

O painel júnior é exclusivo para alunos/as de último ano de licenciatura e primeiro ano de mestrado; neste caso, a apresentação das propostas de comunicação deverá observar o mesmo procedimento, mas serão avaliadas separadamente.

Todas as propostas deverão ser submetidas através do formulário disponível 🔗neste link.

 

Inscrições

A inscrição no congresso é individual e gratuita e deverá ser feita através do formulário disponível 🔗neste link até ao dia 8 de Novembro de 2024.

 

Calendarização

Submissão de propostas: 24 de Julho de 2024
Notificação de aceitação de propostas: 23 de Setembro de 2024
Divulgação do programa: 14 de Outubro de 2024
Prazo para inscrições: 8 de Novembro de 2024

 

Contacto: congressohistorialocal@gmail.com

 

 

 

Conference that aims to contribute to a more comprehensive and all-encompassing understanding of the Holocaust by discussing how the European press covered nazi anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. Deadline: 2 September

 

The Press and the Holocaust

 

Public opinion and the press (taken in a broad sense to include newspapers, radio broadcasts, pamphlets, leaflets, etc.) became major actors of the world since WWI. Their significance can hardly be underestimated. As the American journalist Robert W. Desmond wrote at the very beginning of a book on The Press and World Affairs in 1937, “the press not only reports the history of the world, day by day, but helps to make it.” Surprisingly, however, the press continues to remain only a secondary (and neglected) source of information in Holocaust research. After the first British and American research on the subject, in the late 1960s, and a couple of other scattered case studies that were published from the 1980s on, it was only recently (2023) that a Guide to Holocaust sources finally included a chapter on “Contemporary Newspapers as Sources for Approaching Holocaust Study.”

To be sure, the press plays a double role as a valuable source of information about the period: it disseminated mass information and purported to influence public opinion (the numerous historical studies on propaganda testify to the awareness of its importance), while at the same time it mirrors the multitude of public voices and opinions that were locally available and willing to polemically interact on.

This conference aims to contribute to a more comprehensive and all-encompassing understanding of the Holocaust by discussing how the European press covered nazi anti-Semitism and the Holocaust from a comparative historical perspective.

The conference welcomes paper proposals from a broad range of disciplines dealing with:

• The flow of information in European countries about the anti-Semitic violence ongoing in Germany and occupied Europe;
• The knowledge available to public opinion on the genocide that took place during the war;
• The role of news agencies on the dissemination and exchange of (dis)information regarding the Holocaust;
• The constructing and desconstructing of anti-Semitic stereotypes and prejudices during the period;

 

We especially encourage the participation of younger scholars at the beginning of their careers.
Selected papers will be published.

Working language of the conference: English

Submission of Abstracts: Please submit a paper abstract of 300 words (in English) and a short CV (no more than 250 words long) to claudia.sn@fcsh.unl.pt

Submission deadline: 2 September 2024
Notification of Acceptance: 16 September 2024

Please address all inquiries to claudia.sn@fcsh.unl.pt

 

>> Download the call for papers (PDF) <<

 

Organisation:

 

Cláudia Ninhos (IHC — NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST)
Fernando Clara (NOVA FCSH)

 

 

Transdisciplinarity as a vital tool and framework for reimagining museums and their colonial collections from an inclusive and decolonial perspective. Deadline: 30 April 2024.

 

Decolonizing Museums and Colonial Collections

Towards a Transdisciplinary Agenda and Methods

 

 

Set to take place from 12 to 14 March 2025, in Portugal (the city is yet to be confirmed), this international conference is a collaborative effort between colleagues from the Institute of Contemporary History (NOVA and Évora University, Portugal), Queens College, City University of New York (USA), University of São Paulo (Brazil), and Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford (UK), supported by TheMuseumsLab.

The conference will delve into the theme of transdisciplinarity as a vital tool and framework for reimagining museums and their colonial collections from an inclusive and decolonial perspective. Globally, there is a growing movement fuelled by public demand to decolonize museum institutions. However, practical strategies for decolonizing museums and addressing their colonial collections are often lacking in discussions.

Transdisciplinarity has emerged as a response to the growing complexity of contemporary issues in society and must also be invoked to deal with the complexity of decolonization and the processes of collection documentation and rethinking of the ‘captive’ objects held in museums. To undiscipline museums and adopt a novel approach to documenting, curating, and presenting colonial collections, there is a need for future museums to be receptive to diverse ways of knowing, both within and beyond academia. Consequently, through case studies from around the world, this conference aims to disseminate transdisciplinary experiences and methodologies related to museums and colonial collections, fostering a more inclusive and informed approach to preserving and presenting historical knowledge.

 

 

 

Call for papers

 

We welcome submissions on topics such as:

• Colonialism and power dynamics
• Provenance research
• Object, material culture biographies
• Restitution, repatriation, and reparation
• Collections development and care
• Decolonization and reinterpretation
• Exhibitions, and representing hidden and untold stories
• Representation and identity memory and healing
• Cultural appropriation and ownership
• Education and awareness

 

SELECTION PROCESS

Expressions of interest should be emailed to the conveners in English for consideration for oral presentation. Selected contributors will be invited to participate in a pre-conference workshop, scheduled to be held online in September 2024, aimed at further developing their contributions for potential inclusion in an edited volume focusing on “Museums and Colonial Collections: Advancing a Transdisciplinary Agenda, and Methods”. We strongly encourage early career researchers and individuals from underrepresented regions of the world to submit their contributions. We are prepared to offer technical support as needed. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for guidance or additional information. All submissions must be original and not previously published.

Expressions of interest should include the following details:

1. Title of the proposed paper
2. Last and first name of the author/s
3. Affiliation of the author/s (acronyms must be avoided)
4. Contact details: e-mail, telephone number, postal address
5. Abstract of the paper (300 to 400 words)
6. Keywords (maximum 5)
7. Short biography of the author/s (max. 50 words)

The abstract must be sent to this email address 2025conferencetransmat@gmail.com

 

IMPORTANT DATES

18 March 2024: Call for abstracts
30 April 2024: Deadline for submission of abstracts
30 May 2024: Abstract acceptance
15 November 2024: Full paper submission
12 – 14 March 2025: International Conference

 

 

Organisers:

 

Elisabete Pereira, IHC — University of Ébvora / IN2PAST (Portugal)
Robert T Nyamushosho, Queens College, City University of New York (USA)
Marília Xavier Cury, Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia, University of São Paulo (Brazil)
Lennon Mhishi, Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford (UK)

 

Concept Note

 

Globally, there is a widespread and ongoing movement driven by public demand to decolonize museums and their collections. Nonetheless, the practical application of decolonizing museums and their collections is often conspicuously absent from many discussions. As always, the precise interpretation of decolonization in the context of museums remains a subject of ambiguity, both conceptually and in practice. Does it entail the restitution of stolen artworks or objects? Does it involve the recruitment of individuals from diverse racial backgrounds and the inclusion of indigenous voices merely as a symbolic gesture in exhibition design? Whilst the notion of decolonization lacks a clear definition, it is undeniable that a shift in museum institutions towards diversified perspectives on the cultures they represent is critical. Crucially, most decolonial thinkers concur that this diversification must transcend the confines of so-called ‘experts’ and the prevailing colonial narratives. It should aspire to reconstruct the museum as a platform for inclusive dialogue and engagement at all levels of decision-making.

A novel and critical approach to dismantling Eurocentrism in museums and collections research involves the development of a strategic transdisciplinary agenda. This agenda empowers museums to reimagine their collections and transition from being possessors of objects to becoming custodians of those collections. By integrating various forms of knowledge into the museum’s practices, encompassing natural, ethnographic, historical, and archaeological artefacts, museums can avoid perpetuating colonial attitudes and behaviours. This approach also facilitates a comprehensive process of repatriation and restitution in meaningful ways where they are most needed.

Transdisciplinarity, unlike interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity, recognizes multiple levels of reality and encourages collaborative problem-solving across different segments of society. It is a practice-oriented approach that promotes the participation of various stakeholders, particularly those possessing local knowledge or external to academic institutions, fostering mutual learning and enriching the collective knowledge base (Häberli et al., 2001; Nilsson Stutz 2018; Rigolot 2020; Zierhofer and Burger 2007). Transdisciplinarity has emerged in response to the growing complexity of contemporary issues in society and must be invoked to deal with the intricacy of decolonization and the processes of documenting collections and the restitutions of ‘imprisoned’ objects. Historically, academic disciplines and departments were established to specialize in distinct domains of knowledge, providing scientific solutions to concrete economic and societal issues.
However, for understanding and solving some of the most important, complex, and difficult issues we face, whether in environmental protection, formulating inclusive public policies, accommodating religious and cultural pluralism, or dealing humanely and respectfully with objects from former empires held in European museums, transdisciplinarity methodologies must be required. Drawing upon validated expertise from various disciplines and other specialized knowledge domains, transdisciplinarity amalgamates diverse viewpoints and contributions toward a shared objective (Klein, 2015; Augsburg, 2014; Levy, 2011; Jants, 1970; Rigolot 2020; Scholz and Steiner, 2015). This approach necessitates collaborative action and entails “border work,” fostering intercommunication both within and outside academia (Horlick-Jones, Sime, 2004; Mignolo, 2000; Nilsson Stutz, 2018).

Within the context of museums stemming from former colonial powers and their intricate transnational collections, this book/conference underscores the significance of organizing and providing access to these collections through a transdisciplinary approach. It is argued here that museums, as trusted societal institutions, must depart from conventional curatorial practices, embracing transparency and the public dissemination of their collections, whether they are archaeological, archival, ethnographic, or natural history collections. This process necessitates the acknowledgment that some objects were acquired through violent means or from affluent donors who amassed their wealth from colonial empires. Decolonization is a subject of intense debate and complexity, entailing discussions of cultural issues and taking into account the various layers of knowledge tied to museum objects, their historical contexts, and the stakeholders engaged in their collection and
exhibition.

Cameron and Mengler (2009) underscore that the traditional museum knowledge system is rooted in an 18th-century classification and objectivity paradigm, which shapes how collections are documented, interpreted, and portrayed. This system, entrenched in disciplinary hierarchies, often presents colonial collections as exotic curiosities and novelties. Many of these objects either find themselves on display or languish in museum storerooms, embodying cultural traditions that colonial governments and Western-style museums actively discouraged and misrepresented. This has led to a neglect of the cultural traditions and knowledge systems from which these collections originated.

Accessing this knowledge and engaging with the communities from which it emanates is crucial for a more profound understanding of global history and its complex cultural legacies. The process of collecting and studying these artifacts requires the amalgamation of diverse disciplinary perspectives and the fusion of information, data, theories, and methodologies to create a synthesis that transcends individual disciplines. This process also involves capturing diverse narratives surrounding collections and their circulation.

In colonial territories, the systems of local knowledge production were disrupted, resulting in generational memory loss and knowledge imbalances. Separating objects from their original communities and distorting their meanings led to enduring memory losses and knowledge asymmetries that persist unaddressed to this day. These imprecise interpretations persist in museums, which often overlook the significance and contexts of these objects, disregarding the potential contributions of the communities of origin in reshaping Eurocentric museums and knowledge institutions (Scholz and Steiner, 2015).

Museums, traditionally employed as colonial tools, have played a pivotal role in shaping identity formation and legitimizing a Eurocentric and hierarchical worldview as universally applicable. However, they must transition from being passive repositories, merely housing vast collections of objects and treasures from diverse cultures around the world. The responsibilities of museums extend to the collections they curate, the voices they represent, and the knowledge systems they embody. This necessitates a transformation in consciousness and the adoption of a new paradigm that acknowledges historical biases in museum practices and narratives, striving for a more inclusive future.

This new paradigm involves adopting a transdisciplinary approach that transcends the confines of individual disciplines in pursuit of a unified understanding of knowledge and the proposition of solutions for contemporary issues such as racism and discrimination.

In order to undiscipline museums and adopt a novel approach to documenting, curating, and presenting collections, this book/conference advocates for future museums to be receptive to diverse ways of knowing, both within and outside the academic sphere. It aims to represent hidden and untold stories, advocating for transdisciplinary research that allows researchers and research subjects to collaborate on an equitable footing. This approach enriches knowledge and understanding without favoring any single investigator or actor over another. As museums navigate these changes, various projects, such as “Looking both ways,” (Crowell et al., 2001), exemplify the transdisciplinary approach by offering an inclusive opportunity for all interested individuals to participate and contribute to the research process, yielding valuable results in combating the coloniality of knowledge. This book/Conference contributes to the dissemination of transdisciplinary experiences and methodologies related to museums and colonial collections, fostering a more inclusive and informed approach to recording, preserving, and presenting knowledge about the past. Globally, there is a widespread and ongoing movement driven by public demand to decolonize museums and their collections. Nonetheless, the practical application of decolonizing museums and their collections is often conspicuously absent from many discussions. As always, the precise interpretation of decolonization in the context of museums remains a subject of ambiguity, both conceptually and in practice. Does it entail the restitution of stolen artworks or objects? Does it involve the recruitment of individuals from diverse racial backgrounds and the inclusion of indigenous voices merely as a symbolic gesture in exhibition design? Whilst the notion of decolonization lacks a clear definition, it is undeniable that a shift in museum institutions towards diversified perspectives on the cultures they represent is critical. Crucially, most decolonial thinkers concur that this diversification must transcend the confines of so-called ‘experts’ and the prevailing colonial narratives. It should aspire to reconstruct the museum as a platform for inclusive dialogue and engagement at all levels of decision-making.

A novel and critical approach to dismantling Eurocentrism in museums and collections research involves the development of strategic transdisciplinary working methods. This agenda empowers museums to reimagine their collections and transition from being possessors of objects to becoming custodians of those collections. By integrating various forms of knowledge into the museum’s practices, encompassing natural, ethnographic, historical, and archaeological artifacts, museums can avoid perpetuating colonial attitudes and behaviours. This approach also facilitates a comprehensive process of repatriation and restitution in meaningful ways where they are most needed.

 

REFERENCES

Augsburg, T. (2014) – “Becoming transdisciplinary: The emergence of the transdisciplinary individual”. World Futures, 70(3-4), 233-247.
Cameron, F.R., Mengler, S. (2009). “Complexity, Transdisciplinarity and Museum Collections Documentation”. Journal of Material Culture, 14, 189 – 218.
Crowell, A. L., Steffian, A. F., & Pullar, G. L. (Eds.). (2001). Looking both ways: Heritage and identity of the Alutiiq people. Fairbanks, AK: University of Alaska Press.
Dieleman, H., Nicolescu, B., Ertas, A. (ed.) (2017) – Transdisciplinary & Interdisciplinary Education and Research. Atlas Publishing.
Häberli, R., Bill, A., Grossenbacher-Mansuy, W., Klein, J. T ., Scholz, R.,& Welt i, M. (2001). Synthesis. In J. T . Klein, W. Grossenbacher-Mansuy, R. Häberli, A. Bill, R. Scholz, & M. Welt i (Eds.), Transdisciplinarity: Joint problem solving among science, technology, and society: An effective way of managing complexity. Berlin: Birkhäuser Verlag.
Horlick-Jones, T., Sime, J. (2004) – “Living on the border: knowledge, risk and transdisciplinarity”. Futures 36 (2004);
Jantsch, E. (1970) – “Inter-Disciplinary and Transdisciplinary University – Systems Approach to Education and Innovation”. Policy Sciences, 1970. 1(4): p. 403-428.
Klein, J. T. (2015). “Reprint of ‘Discourses of transdisciplinarity: Looking back to the future”. Futures, 65, 10-16.
Leavy, P. (2011) – Essentials of transdisciplinary research: Using problem-centered methodologies. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast.
MacClancey, J. (Ed.). (2002). Exotic no more: Anthropology on the front lines. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Mignolo, W. D. (2000) – Local Histories/Global Designs: Coloniality, Subaltern Knowledges, and Border Thinking. Princeton University Press.
Nilsson Stutz, L. (2018). “A future for archaeology: in defense of an intellectually engaged, collaborative and confident archaeology”. Norwegian Archaeological Review, 51(1-2): 48- 56https://doi.org 10.1080/00293652.2018.1544168
Nicolescu, B. (1985). Nous, la particule et le monde. Paris, France: Le Mail.
Nicolescu, B. (2008). “Transdisciplinarity: History, methodology, hermeneutics. Economy, Transdisciplinarity” Cognition, 11(2), 13-23.
Rigolot, C. (2020). “Transdisciplinarity as a discipline and a way of being: complementarities and creative tensions.” Humanit Soc Sci Commun 7, 100. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00598-5
Scholz RW, Steiner G (2015). “The real type and ideal type of transdisciplinary processes: part II—what constraints and obstacles do we meet in practice?” Sustain Sci, 10(4): 653–671.
Zierhofer, W., and Burger, P., (2007). “Disentangling transdisciplinarity: an analysis of knowledge integration in problem oriented research”. Science Studies, 20 (1), 51–74.

 

 

Colloquium that aims to extend the discussion on the camp form from a historical perspective, as well as the different practices of colonial incarceration. Deadline: 10 August

 

Spaces of Confinement:

Memories of Repression and Coloniality

 

Last May 1st marked the 50th anniversary (1974-2024) of the liberation of prisoners held in the Tarrafal Concentration Camp on the island of Santiago in Cape Verde. This camp was founded by the Salazar dictatorship in 1936 under the euphemistic name of ‘Cape Verde Penal Colony’ with the purpose of imprisoning the opponents of Salazarism. From 1936 to 1954, hundreds of Portuguese prisoners were confined to Tarrafal for political reasons; and hundreds more from the colonies were confined from 1961 to 1974 because they fought for the independence of their country in Africa. Torture, illness, death, censorship, forced labour and other repressive practices characterized the regime of confinement in Tarrafal (Barros 2009). From this point of view, the history of this prison should be seen as part of the global policies of colonial confinement and political violence that dictatorial regimes carried out in different parts of the world throughout the 20th century. Furthermore, this colonial confinement needs to be seen as part of the global history of European imperial expansion and colonialisms (Coates
2001; Bernault 2003; Vansina 2003; Havik, Janeiro, Oliveira & Pimentel 2021; Bruce-Lockhart 2022; Angelo 2023).

Detentions (as a practice of control) and segregation (as a mechanism for generating differences) were exercised in spaces instituted as ‘exceptions’ (Agamben 1996) and as instruments for managing people considered to be ‘surplus’ or dangerous to the dominant order. The concept of camp form suggested by Federico Rahola in a 2007 implies a reinterpretation of colonial and post-colonial confinements, both from the perspective of their duration and the contemporary adaptation of detention practices, including what Didier Fassin calls ‘precarious transnational nomads – refugees or migrants, asylum seekers or foreigners in an irregular situation’ (Fassin 2021). That is to say, the spaces and cultures of confinement (Dikötter & Brown 2007; Morelle, Le Marcis & Hornberger 2021) reveal a lot about the geographies of exclusion and inequality (Gilmore 2023).

Taking as memorial reference the 88th anniversary of the opening of the Tarrafal colonial prison in Cape Verde (29 October 1936 – 29 October 2024), this International Colloquium aims to extend the debate on the old and new practices of confinement, in their multiple declinations and modalities. On the one hand, it aims to extend the discussion on the camp form from a historical perspective, as well as the different practices of colonial incarceration. On the other hand, the purpose of this Colloquium is to reflect in a broad and transdisciplinary way on the spaces, memories, narratives and experiences of detention, and how their legacies mark the genealogy of contemporary practices of detention. In this context, we call for proposals that dialogue with these and other related topics:

• Colonial confinement experiences
• Memories and narratives of detention
• Prison and political repression
• Colonial and post-colonial violence in the field
• Arts, violence, narratives and representations of confinement
• Prisons, resistance strategies and transnational networks of struggle
• Archipelagos of confinement: political prisons, penal colonies, forced labour camps, refugee camps
• Spaces and forms of confinement – comparative perspectives
• Memory policies, reappropriations, ways of reusing spaces of colonial confinement
• Racialised spaces and the compartmentalisation of difference

 

Proposals (title, author, institutional affiliation, and an abstract of no more than 200 words) must be sent by 10 August 2024 to liviaapa@gmail.com and vbarros@fcsh.unl.pt. Accepted proposals will be communicated no later than 1 September 2024. Abstracts and presentations can be in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish.

The Colloquium will take place on 29 and 30 October 2024 at the Aljube Museum, in Lisbon, Portugal.

 

>> Download the call for papers (PDF) <<

 

 

Organisation

 

Livia Apa (CEsac-Unior – Centro Studi sull’Africa Contemporanea, Università di Napoli)
Víctor Barros (IHC — NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST)

 

 

Scientific Committee

 

Anaïs Angelo (University of Vienna)
Aurora Almada e Santos (IHC — NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST)
Camille Evrard (CNRS–IMAF & Université de Toulouse Jean Jaurès)
Catarina Madeira Santos (IMAF & École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales)
Federico Rahola (Università degli Studi di Genova)
Florence Bernault (SciencesPo – Centre for History)
Francesco Correale (CNRS–UMR 7324 CITERES – Université de Tours)
Laura Routley (Newcastle University)
Maria Conceição Neto (Universidade Agostinho Neto)
Miguel Mellino (Università degli Studi di Napoli « L’Orientale »)
Pedro Aires Oliveira (IHC — NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST)
Romain Tiquet (CNRS & Centre Marc Bloch)

 

Photo: Tarrafal Concentration Camp, 2015 (Carlos Oliveira Reis / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

 

The eighth edition of the congress, which aims to emphasise the importance of local history in contemporary historiography. Deadline: 24 July 2024

 

VIII Congresso de História Local:

Conceitos, Práticas e Desafios na Contemporaneidade

 

 

O VIII Congresso de História Local aspira acompanhar e estimular a renovação historiográfica em curso; assim, dá continuidade aos propósitos e dinâmicas iniciados em 2017, proporcionando um espaço de divulgação, de partilha e de problematização para todos quantos se dedicam a este ramo da historiografia, em diálogo permanente com a historiografia nacional e internacional. Tal como nas edições anteriores, o encontro pretende continuar a ser um contexto privilegiado para a reflexão sobre o conceito, as metodologias e as práticas da história local; por extensão, constitui-se como uma oportunidade para troca de experiências.

Do mesmo modo, os princípios subjacentes à organização do congresso fomentam a intervenção de estudantes de último ano de licenciatura e de primeiro de mestrado, com o intuito de obterem as primeiras experiências no meio académico.

O encontro de 2024 será acolhido pela Câmara Municipal de Vila Nova de Famalicão, em parceria com o projecto educativo e cultural “De Famalicão para o Mundo: Contributos da História Local”. Seguindo o modelo dos eventos anteriores, esta edição contará com um painel exclusivamente dedicado à História deste município. Nesse sentido, convidam-se os historiadores, professores, investigadores e demais estudiosos da região a submeterem comunicações dedicadas à História de Vila Nova de Famalicão.

 

 

---

 

Chamada para comunicações

 

Convidam-se os interessados/as a apresentarem propostas de comunicação no domínio da história local, subordinadas à evolução analítica de comunidades e enquadradas pelas especificidades metodológicas e epistemológicas que caracterizam este campo de estudos. As propostas de comunicação sobre a História Local na contemporaneidade podem ser concebidas em torno dos seguintes eixos temáticos, sem exclusão de outros tópicos:

• Transformações sociais e culturais;
• Imprensa local;
• Dinâmicas laborais e conflituosidade social;
• Reflexões sobre a teoria e metodologias da História Local;
• A importância da História Local no ensino secundário e superior;
• Temas e trabalhos subordinados à história de uma região;
• História e Comunidade(s);
• Elite(s) e Personalidades;
• Municípios e Poder Local;
• Instituições e associações locais;
• Organização, resistência e violência política na história local;
• A história das mulheres em contexto local.

 

Seguindo o modelo dos eventos anteriores, esta edição contará com um painel exclusivamente dedicado à História deste município. Nesse sentido, convidam-se os historiadores, professores, investigadores e demais estudiosos da região a submeterem comunicações dedicadas à História de Vila Nova de Famalicão.

 

Envio de propostas

As propostas não deverão exceder os 3500 caracteres e contemplar o título do trabalho e uma biografia resumida do autor (máximo 750 caracteres). As comunicações aceites resultarão em apresentações de 15 minutos.

Línguas de trabalho: Português e Inglês (não haverá interpretação simultânea).

O painel júnior é exclusivo para alunos/as de último ano de licenciatura e primeiro ano de mestrado; neste caso, a apresentação das propostas de comunicação deverá observar o mesmo procedimento, mas serão avaliadas separadamente.

Todas as propostas deverão ser submetidas através do formulário disponível 🔗neste link.

 

Inscrições

A inscrição no congresso é individual e gratuita e deverá ser feita através do formulário disponível 🔗neste link até ao dia 8 de Novembro de 2024.

 

Calendarização

Submissão de propostas: 24 de Julho de 2024
Notificação de aceitação de propostas: 23 de Setembro de 2024
Divulgação do programa: 14 de Outubro de 2024
Prazo para inscrições: 8 de Novembro de 2024

 

Contacto: congressohistorialocal@gmail.com

 

 

 

Conference that aims to contribute to a more comprehensive and all-encompassing understanding of the Holocaust by discussing how the European press covered nazi anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. Deadline: 2 September

 

The Press and the Holocaust

 

Public opinion and the press (taken in a broad sense to include newspapers, radio broadcasts, pamphlets, leaflets, etc.) became major actors of the world since WWI. Their significance can hardly be underestimated. As the American journalist Robert W. Desmond wrote at the very beginning of a book on The Press and World Affairs in 1937, “the press not only reports the history of the world, day by day, but helps to make it.” Surprisingly, however, the press continues to remain only a secondary (and neglected) source of information in Holocaust research. After the first British and American research on the subject, in the late 1960s, and a couple of other scattered case studies that were published from the 1980s on, it was only recently (2023) that a Guide to Holocaust sources finally included a chapter on “Contemporary Newspapers as Sources for Approaching Holocaust Study.”

To be sure, the press plays a double role as a valuable source of information about the period: it disseminated mass information and purported to influence public opinion (the numerous historical studies on propaganda testify to the awareness of its importance), while at the same time it mirrors the multitude of public voices and opinions that were locally available and willing to polemically interact on.

This conference aims to contribute to a more comprehensive and all-encompassing understanding of the Holocaust by discussing how the European press covered nazi anti-Semitism and the Holocaust from a comparative historical perspective.

The conference welcomes paper proposals from a broad range of disciplines dealing with:

• The flow of information in European countries about the anti-Semitic violence ongoing in Germany and occupied Europe;
• The knowledge available to public opinion on the genocide that took place during the war;
• The role of news agencies on the dissemination and exchange of (dis)information regarding the Holocaust;
• The constructing and desconstructing of anti-Semitic stereotypes and prejudices during the period;

 

We especially encourage the participation of younger scholars at the beginning of their careers.
Selected papers will be published.

Working language of the conference: English

Submission of Abstracts: Please submit a paper abstract of 300 words (in English) and a short CV (no more than 250 words long) to claudia.sn@fcsh.unl.pt

Submission deadline: 2 September 2024
Notification of Acceptance: 16 September 2024

Please address all inquiries to claudia.sn@fcsh.unl.pt

 

>> Download the call for papers (PDF) <<

 

Organisation:

 

Cláudia Ninhos (IHC — NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST)
Fernando Clara (NOVA FCSH)