The ancient Greek philosophical, scientific, political and cultural achievements
are held to be one important inheritance of the West. It was a central aspect of
Western identity to be distinguished from other cultures by the fact that it has
science, and science was meant to be a Greek invention. Since the experience of
post-colonialism and the increasing knowledge of Babylonian and Egyptian
scientific achievements, historians of Western philosophy and culture became
more aware of the certain euro-centrism of this traditional view. These changes
led to a discourse on the relation between Greeks and Barbarians as well as on
the Greeks and the West, which is also a hidden discourse on Western identity.
This modern discourse, which has moved from a moderate ancient Greek
ethnocentrism to modern euro-centrism, is connected with the antiquity via two
claims:
1. It was in ancient Greece, where a cultural transformation of universal or at
least outstanding importance took place.
2. The West inherits this Greek achievement due to a continuous tradition of
these beginnings.
Several critics such as Karl Jaspers' concept of an axial period or, more
recently, Martin Bernals Black Athena challenged both claims.
In our workshop we are going to discuss these two claims by examining the
positions of its opponents as well as its defenders: Is the idea of a Greek
inheritance just a Narrative of Modernity? The panel is open to papers on the
relation between Greeks and Barbarians, on the impact of non-Greek cultures on
the so-called Greek transition from myth to reason or on the questions regarding
the supposedly continuous tradition from the ancient philosophy to modern
Western science.
CfP: Dance and Cultural Identities in the Balkans, Serres, Greece 23-25.4.2004
CALL FOR PAPERS
3rd Conference of Folk Culture
"Dance and Cultural Identities in the Balkans"
Serres, Greece 23-25 April 2004
An international conference organised by the Department of Physical Education
and Athletics of the Aristotle University of Thessalonica located in the city of
Serres in collaboration with the Municipality of Serres
The Balkans have been conceived for over a century as a geopolitical entity, a
notion that to a large extent has been internalised by the populations residing
in the region. However, the question about the existence of a single Balkan
cultural identity remains an issue of debate and controversy.
The events that marked the region throughout the 1990s raised anew, in an
imperative way, issues of collective and personal identities (national, ethnic,
religious, cultural etc.). The collapse of socialist regimes, the opening up of
borders, the migratory movements and the increase of communication brought in
the foreground questions of cultural interaction and exchange, and processes of
inclusion and exclusion, which originate in the historical past of the region
but are also vital for the future coexistence and cooperation between the Balkan
peoples.
The conference, having as its keystone the historicity of cultural phenomena,
approaches dance as a cultural practice which has the capability to communicate
a variety of ideas, emotions, norms and values. Dance in the Balkans has great
potency and high esteemed value. It constitutes a central component of many
public events, annual and private celebrations. Moreover, as a cultural element,
it is accorded recognition as a symbol of collective identity and a means of
visually representing a group's culture. The conference welcomes papers that
will address the afore-mentioned issues and their impact on the Balkan
societies.
The following thematic units will be examined:
1. Balkan cultures in a historical perspective
2. Ethnic groups and identities in the 'long duree'
3. Dance as a symbol of ethnic and local identities. Identity and
difference in dancing. Issues of ethos and style.
4. Dance in the everyday and the 'sacred' time. Celebrations and dance
feasts. Rituals in the life and time circle.
5. Dance and national identities. Constructions and inventions of national
traditions. Nation-state and the various uses of dance traditions. State
ideologies and folklore.
6. Dance and educational institutions. From the performance to the
teaching and from the ritual to the staging. Issues of structure, function,
morphology and aesthetics.
The deadline for submission of paper proposals is 30 November 2003. Abstracts of
no more than 250 words should be sent by e-mail or regular mail to:
Conference language: Greek & English
Registration fee: 20 ? (15 ? for students)
Location: Hall of the Municipal and Regional Theatre of Serres
For further information (application form, registration, abstracts) contact the
secretariat of the conference:
Department of Physical Education and Athletics, Aristotle University of
Thessalonica
Ayios Ioannis
62110 Serres
GREECE
Tel. +30 23210 67612, 67135
+30 2310 991043, 991044, 991052
Fax: +30 23210 64806, +30 2310 991049
E - mail : Pan-k@otenet.grvtsioni@phed-st.auth.gr
Urban Images and Representations in Europe and beyond during the 20th century
(7th International Conference on Urban History, Athens-Piraeus, October 2004)
Specialist Session at the 7th International Conference on Urban History;
organized by Jochen Guckes (Berlin) und Sandra Schuermann (Hamburg)
The way in which cities are perceived and what is thought appropriate for them
in terms of public representation has become the focus of a growing number of
works in different subfields of urban history. How those with power chose to
represent 'their' town in public, which views on history and future were
circulated, and which measures were taken to make the built city fit the image -
these questions are not only subjects of interest in their own right, but also
reveal a great deal about the social order in a place. Self-images of towns,
foreigners' perceptions, descriptions of a place's present state and
imaginations of a better future also closely mirror questions of identity and
reflect the process of adaptation to modernity in an urban environment, i.e. the
process of "cultural urbanization". Especially during periods of conflict and
change, the underlying ideas and their constructedness become visible and
obvious.
Urban images also reflect more general attitudes of social groups present in the
city and thus can be analyzed as representations of social order at large. The
way in which different actors - city councils, educated middle classes or
working classes and their associations and institutions - fought for their
vision of the appropriate (self-)image, apprehended existing images and
established boundaries within and around the city (by including and excluding
contradicting images), mirrors the historical processes that were under way in
these towns. When analyzing these representations, the profound spatiality of
the city's social order becomes obvious, as conflicts over class, ethnicity,
gender and religion are deeply rooted in the respective urban territories. The
built environment as well as concepts of town- planning illustrate the results
of many a struggle within urban society.
Analyzing narratives and discourses, as well as social practices resulting from
them (e.g. local festivities and performances), allows one to show the social
order of the respective city with all its conflicts. The study of the
fundamental ideas and cultural expressions will also show the links of these
urban representations to other communal, regional, national and ultimately
global trends and processes.
The aim of this session is to gather case studies from a broad geographical and
temporal horizon that will allow us to analyze common aspects as well as
significant differences in an international perspective.
Papers should address at least one of the following key questions:
. How were towns represented in a given historical context? How did those
(self-) images change or remain stable during the 20th century?
. How were representations and self-images translated into built
structures?
. Which different groups within the city attempted to represent 'their'
town and how were the power relations between them? Who was included or excluded
in urban (self-)images and how did these processes mirror social order?
. Which functions for an urban society were fulfilled by urban
representations? Which role did different kinds of references to the city's past
or future play for them?
. How did conflicts over (self-)images mirror the adaptation to
urbanization and urbanity in general?
. What influence and importance did external factors - such as war,
ruptures of the political system, or change of economic and demographic
structures - have on urban (self-)images?
To facilitate a comparative perspective, the organizers welcome not only case
studies on specific cities but also especially encourage papers that look at
cities in different countries. The organizers plan to include examples from
different European regions.
Papers can be given both in English and French and will be pre-circulated.
Participants should be prepared to give only a five to ten minute presentation
of their main theses at the conference to allow for longer discussion.
If you are interested in participating, please email an abstract of your paper
(up to 500 words) and a brief CV to the session organizers until October 1st,
2003.
Contact:
Jochen Guckes, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für
Geschichtswissenschaften, Unter den Linden 6, D-10099 Berlin guckesj@geschichte.hu-berlin.de
and
Sandra Schuermann, Museum der Arbeit, Poppenhusenstr. 12, 22305 Hamburg, schuermann.sandra@web.de
CALL FOR PAPERS: EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN CITIES COMPARED
Session to be held at the 7th International Conference on Urban History
Athens 2004
Eastern Mediterranean Cities compared : Technical networks, town planning and
municipal institutions (Greece, the Balkans and the Ottoman Empire 1820-1925)
The object of this session is to draw a comparison between the various forms of
urban government in the Eastern parts of the Mediterranean. The idea is to set
up a typology of the ways in which cities are ruled. This typology will consider
cities from independent Greece to cities of the Ottoman Empire, or from the
Habsburg Balkans to colonial cities. Papers are expected to deal with municipal
history, with a focus on the transition between Old regime forms of urban rule
to administrative municipal modernity and on subjects related to the technical
modernization of the urban space. Paper givers are invited to examine the
history of the various reforms that have affected this transition. An attention
to the respective competencies of local powers and States is expected too, with
a focus on the various domains of urban government (public order, construction,
town planning, markets, local taxes, guilds, civic representation of
confessional communities). The aim is to create a space for a comparative
discussion between researchers who have few occasions to debate, as they usually
work on different geographical fields and often belong to diverse academic
backgrounds. It would be interesting in this perspective to compare the
chronology and the content of urban government reforms in national Greece and in
the Ottoman Empire for example, or to discuss imperial and national reforms in
the context of a wider geographical and political panorama.
For the end of the period, a comparison between colonial rule and national rule
is expected too, mainly in the domains of municipal powers and town planning.
This session will consist of ten papers, chosen among those submitted after an
international call for papers. The idea is to work together with researchers
from Greece, Turkey, the Balkans and the Middle-East. Denis Bocquet is a
specialist in the urban history of the Mediterranean (municipalities, town
planning, technical networks). Nora Lafi is a specialist in the urban history of
North Africa and the Middle-East. She has a particular interest in the
transition from Old regime in the urban government to administrative modernity
in the Ottoman Empire. Yasemin Avci is a specialist of municipal history in the
Ottoman Empire Papers can be submitted by sending a proposal (500-600 words) at
the following addresses: bocquet@mmsh.univ-aix.fr lafi@rabelais.univ-tours.fr yaseminavci@hotmail.com
Deadline for Submission: October 31, 2003
Conference website:
http://www.le.ac.uk/urbanhist/urbanconf/athens.html
TO
PROMOTE BUSINESS CO-OPERATION BETWEEN COMPANIES FROM THE BALKAN & BLACK SEA
AND THE E.U. COUNTRIES VENUE: HELEXPO - THESSALONIKI, GREECE
DATE: 17-18 November 2003
TARGET COMPANIES:
Companies participating in the event are either "exhibitors" or "visitors", as
follows:
Hosts-Exhibitors: 150 companies, which have efficient business activities in the
area as well as sound co-operation proposals from: GREECE, BULGARIA, GEORGIA,
ALBANIA, RUSSIA, TURKEY, FYROM UKRAINE, ROMANIA, SERBIA & MONTENEGRO
Visitors: An equivalent number of visiting companies from all the European Union
countries, PHARE countries, and other Mediterranean countries.
TARGET SECTORS:
The event will focus on companies from four (4) different sectors of activity:
u Building materials and construction
u Food & drinks
u Clothing
u Machinery, Equipment & Tools
AIMS OF THE PROPOSED EVENT
During the event there will be prearranged business meetings among participants
with a view to developing various types of business co-operation. The types of
co-operation that will be promoted among participating companies through this
Partenariat are the following: * Subcontracting, * Strategic Planning, * Cross
Exchange of Distribution Channels * Commercial Agreements, * Representations, *
Transfer of Technology/Know-how, * Joint Ventures, * Construction project
Consortia
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
The profile of the Balkan & Black Sea companies who register as HOST companies
will be published on the Official Catalogue of the event, which will be
distributed all over Europe, in order to promote your products or services and
your cooperation proposals.
The official catalogue with the Host companies will be ready by August 2003.
Any company interested to pre-arrange business meetings with the selected host
companies could participate as a visitor.
If you are interested in the advantages offered by the host countries, and your
company is searching for new markets, business opportunities, customers,
suppliers or partners, then Balkan & Black Sea Partnership 2003 is the perfect
opportunity. http://www.seve.gr/bbsp/en/nc.htm
Contact your National Counsellor and register today!
Information - Registration form - National Counsellors www.seve.gr/bbsp/
Hellenic Republic * Ministry of Foreign Affairs* Hellenic Aid
DIPEK SA * SEVE
BBSP2003 Secretariat
Morihovou Square 1 - 54625
Thessaloniki - Greece
Tel +30 2310 535333
Fax +30 2310 543232
Email: mailto:i@seve.gr
Internet: http://www.seve.grhttp://www.seve.gr/bbsp/> www.seve.gr/bbsp/
