Following moments of crisis, discourses of reconstruction and new beginnings see a negotiation of key concepts that provide legitimacy and design new future horizons. The questions we ask are: Which future horizon is developed in which transnational, regional, national or sub-national setting following the First World War? Can transfers of concepts, actors, goods, and indeed 'futures' (i.e. roads to the good society) be shown? If this is case: Who exercises power and influence in this system of global entanglements? Which concepts were translated and/or interpreted in which way in the different regions? Where is a certain friction between differing concepts? Does the friction, or dialogue, between concepts lead to closure or to the development of new concepts or re-interpretations of old ones? Which hands-on consequences did the global legitimacy shifts have within societies? Please send your suggestions for a paper in the form of a short abstract until May 10. We are especially looking for Latin American, North American, and African cases. But all suggestions are welcome.
The conference takes place from June 24 to 26 and the final decision on the papers handed in will be communicated on May 17.