[ecrea] CFP: Austere Cultures/ Cultures of Austerity: Reactions to the Erosions of Critical Spaces

*CALL FOR PAPERS*

*Austere Cultures, Cultures of Austerity: Reactions to the Erosion of 
Critical Spaces*

* *

*8-9 September 2011*

* *

*School of Cultural Studies, Leeds Metropolitan University *

* *

*Key note speakers: Professor Griselda Pollock (University of Leeds); Dr 
Rebecca Bramall (University of Brighton); Professor Les Back 
(Goldsmiths, University of London)*

Picture this: an internationally renowned art historian, barefoot and on 
her knees, scrabbles amongst piles of books in an attempt to salvage a 
valuable collection about to be pulped because of lack of space; a 
distinguished sociologist shreds papers from his now defunct role and 
department whilst university management ‘suits’ scurry past him; 
Conservative Party Headquarters are ‘stormed’ in the most ardent 
expression of student dissent for decades. Such images speak to the 
prevailing cultural /zeitgeist/ of austerity.

In this culture of austerity no area of higher education is immune, 
however, it is the ‘luxury’ of the arts, humanities and social sciences 
that is perceived as no longer affordable. Arguably, these repositories 
of critical inquiry are the first spaces to be eroded. Yet, 
paradoxically, the discourses surrounding austerity are also provoking 
debate, resistance and creativity across the cultural spectrum. Austere 
times, then, may engender a critical abundance that reshapes 
relationships between theoretical analysis, political activism and 
cultural production.

The aim of this conference is to provide an interdisciplinary space for 
countering and challenging the erosion of critical thought. We invite 
interventions/papers – from both inside and outside the academy – which 
interrogate discourses of austerity around the following themes:

Aesthetics and Ascetics

Cultures of Impoverishment

Environmentalism and Austerity

Critical and Cultural Histories of Austerity

Geographies of Austerity

Sociologies of Austerity

Literatures of Austerity

Material and Visual Cultures of Austerity

Popular Culture and Austerity

Activism and Austerity

Political Cultures in Austere Times

Austerity of Knowledge

Austerity and Regionality/Localism

We encourage the submission of proposals for both individual papers as 
well as for panels. Abstracts for individual papers should be no longer 
than 200 words. Panel proposals should be no more than 700 words, and 
include an overall rationale along with individual abstracts.

Please visit http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/conferences/austerity for further 
information. Abstracts should be sent to (d.llinares /at/ leedsmet.ac.uk) 
<mailto:(d.llinares /at/ leedsmet.ac.uk)> by 15 April 2011.


The conference is being organised by Dr Dario Llinares (Leeds 
Metropolitan University), Dr Zoë Thompson (University of Leeds), and Dr 
Fiona Philip (University of Leeds).




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