Despite important particularities amongst different countries of East-Central Europe the fall of state socialism brought new conditions for ways of production and distribution of popular culture. At the same time the “longue durée” nature of popular culture meant that it persisted beyond the late state socialist period. But did the dynamics of popular culture follow any of the shifts that marked the economic and political spheres? Which patterns of cultural production and reception were mobilized to influence popular culture and how important remained local contexts? How can we interpret these changes to reflect present-day societal problems?
During the break up of multinational federal states such as the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia new elites utilized popular culture for nationalist mobilization (Holy, 1996; Barker, 1999; Gordy, 1999; Baker, 2010). Across East-Central Europe discourses of exclusion based on economic, professional, social, educational, age, gender, ethnic and racial characteristics were spreading and they found their expression in mass media and in popular culture in general (Verdery, 1996; Hann, 2002; Borenstein, 2008). Understanding popular culture as a battlefield for hegemony and a sphere of conflicting power relations based in cultural, subcultural, and post-subcultural studies as well as postcolonial theory, and other lines of emancipatory thinking, we invite scholars from wide range of social science and humanities disciplines to present their research at the conference.
Selected Topics
We welcome paper and panel proposals related to the conference theme, including but not limited to such topics as:
- Transferring Culture: Westernization and Commodification of the “East”,
- Culture of the Post-Socialist New Rich: Continuities with Late State Socialism and Neoliberalism,
- Re-traditionalization, Nationalism, Exclusion and Mobilization in Popular Culture,
- Fostering Free-market Ideology through Popular Culture,
- Conflicting Memories of Anti-/Post-communism in Popular Culture,
- Reflections of Sexuality and Gender in Popular Culture,
- Exploitation Culture as Reply to Fast Changes in Post-Socialist Societies,
- Visual Culture of Post-Socialist Societies of East-Central Europe,
- Popular Culture in East-Central Europe as Commodity,
- Travelling Cultural Theory (East West).
Conference deadlines
Submission of panel proposals 15 April 2013.
Submission of paper abstracts 15 May 2013.
Notification on acceptance 30 June 2013.
Conference registration will open 30 June 2013.
Full conference papers are due 15 September 2013.
Full version of papers for publication 5 December 2013.
Guidelines for Abstracts
Abstracts should be submitted by email to the contact below and should include:Author title, name and affiliation with full contact details.Abstracts should not exceed 300 words.
Submission of Panel Proposal
In addition to the regular submission of paper abstracts we also welcome the submission of panel proposals. Maximum 5 papers in English can be submitted in a panel proposal. If 3 or more papers of the proposed panel pass the review process, the panel will be accepted.
Panel proposals should be sent by email and should include:
Panel title, name of proposing organisation/individual, name and full contact details of the contact person, name and affiliation of panel chair, panel abstract (between 200 and 300 words in length) as well as title, author, affiliation of author and name of each paper to be presented in the panel.
Paper/panel submissions will be subject to peer review.
The organizers intend to put together a themed monograph, in which selected papers will be published as full-length chapters.
All submissions must be made exclusively via email
Keynote speakers
Prof. Ann Gray, University of Lincoln, Centre for European Cultural Studies
Dr. Eric Gordy, University College London, School of Slavonic and East European Studies
Conference Fee
15 €/375 CZK Early Bird (until 15 July 2013)
25 €/625 CZK Main Registration (until 30 August 2013)
40 €/1000 CZK Late Registration (until 30 September 2013)
All payments will be paid via bank transfer (as identifier please put your family name).
Bank account number for international transfers (Eurozone):
IBAN: SK3983300000002900060868,
BIC: FIOZSKBAXXX.
Czech domestic payments number: 2900060868/2010
Slovak domestic payments number: 2900060868/8330
Visitors/Accompanying Guests: 10 €/250 CZK (on spot)
The conference fee covers coffee breaks, conference materials and an “alternative” city walk. It does not cover travel, meals, accommodation or insurance.
Program Committee
Prof. Petr Bílek, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
Dr. Stanislav Holubec, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Germany
Dr. Robert Kulmiński, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
Dr. Miroslav Michela, Slovak Academy of Science, Bratislava, Slovakia;
Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
Dr. Reana Senjković, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, Zagreb, Croatia
Dr. Jiřina Šmejkalová, University of Lincoln, United Kingdom