The series of biennial international conferences titled Socialism on the Bench was launched in 2013. Around a hundred participants per conference have been meeting to discuss their different main themes: Cultural and Historical Interpretations of Yugoslav and Post-Yugoslav Societies (2013), Socialism: Construction and Deconstruction (2015) and Communists and Communist Parties: Policies, Actions, Debates (2017). A selection of conference papers was published in the special issues of academic journals (Časopis za suvremenu povijest, Historijski zbornik, Narodna umjetnost) and in edited volumes (Socijalizam na klupi, Socijalizam: izgradnja i razgradnja) within the collection CeKaPISarnica. Papers from the last conference are currently being edited for publication.
While the themes of the two previous conferences marked important anniversaries, this will not be the case now. In the European context, the chosen theme might evoke associations with 1989, but this was not our intention. In the history of Yugoslavia, which constitutes the backbone of our conferences, the following two years have an incomparably stronger resonance. However, with the theme Continuities and Innovations we want to encompass a geographical space larger than Yugoslavia, either as an independent subject of inquiry, or by way of contact or comparison. Also, much more importantly, we aim to cover a longer historical dimension, that goes beyond the duration of one-party socialist systems and Cold War divides. Socialist society was understood as a transitional society: it included characteristics of both past and future, of both capitalist bourgeois and utopian communist society. Therefore, we are interested in what communists could or had to rely on when they came to power, what they preserved and adjusted, what they invented anew and how much of it survived, was transferred to post-socialism and became a welcome heritage or unwanted burden. We would like to invite the participants to be aware of “year zero” moments, of political and historical ruptures and of proclaims of a new era in which there would be no return to the old. Participants should also look beyond the usual chronological fences, and find metamorphoses and re-semantisations, spontaneous and imposed oblivion, repressed and living memories in the continuous, social longue-durée. From the 1920s, 1940s and 1990s until the present day, one can find both old and new, backward and progressive, permanent values and short-term experiments, invented traditions and sunken cultural goods in the spheres of politics, economy, everyday life, culture, art and sport. We would like to listen and discuss all these topics and much more during the conference.
The goal of our conferences, as well as the entire mission of the Centre, remains the same: strengthening the cooperation among scholars with similar research interests, revealing thematic, methodological and theoretical similarities, get to know different interpretations, enhancing dialogue and new research.
The conference languages will be Croatian (and mutually understandable languages) and English. Prominent invited keynote speakers will deliver three plenary lectures. Participants’ presentation time is 15 minutes within several parallel sessions. We accept only individual applications; panels’ proposals will not be accepted. Depending on the participants’ interest, it will be possible to agree on joint publication projects after the conference.
The conference will be held at the Juraj Dobrila University of Pula and in partnership with the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. There is no conference fee. Participants will have to arrange their own trip and accommodation. Conference organizers will provide two dinners and two suppers and arrange a discount at the recommended hotel.
Application deadline is April 1, 2019. Please, fill in the application form and send it to ckpis.conf@gmail.com. By April 30, applicants will be notified about the acceptance of their proposal. By June 30, the conference programme will be published. All information is available at https://ckpis.unipu.hr/ckpis/en/socialism_on_the_bench/2019.
We are looking forward to your submissions!
CKPIS