CFP : Elite Formation, Consumption and Urban Spaces – Cultural Perspectives on African Decolonization

This is a Call for Papers for the conference on Elite Formation, Consumption and Urban Spaces – Cultural Perspectives on African Decolonization. Please note the deadline for abstracts 7 July 2010. There appears to be funding available for participants, so you need to get your abstracts in quickly to be considered.

Please see the website for further details or contact the organisers (see the end of the advert).

http://www.sfb-repraesentationen.de/veranstaltungen/tagungen-und-workshops/elite-formation/

Collaborative Research Centre 640 “Representations of Changing Social Orders” Subproject African Modernity Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Berlin, Germany, 26th/27th November 2010

Venue: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, International Research Centre ”Work and Human Life Cycle in Global History”, Georgenstrasse 23, 10117 Berlin

Organizers: Regina Finsterhölzl and Daniel Tödt

Introduction: Prof. Dr. Andreas Eckert

Keynote address: Dr. Sean Nixon

Senior Discussants: N.N. // N.N.

Deadline: 7th July 2010

During the second half of the twentieth century the African continent was shaped not only by political but also by social and cultural change and crisis. In the rapidly growing cities, new social spaces and groups emerged. These actors often portrayed themselves as ‘modern’, and their emerging social practice not only mirrored this change but also played an active part in moving the boundaries of social distinction in colonial societies – between new elites, traditional elites, urban middle classes and workers as well as Europeans. This transcending of boundaries can be explored in many different ways. New marketing strategies for consumer products and luxury goods, promising a career, success, and high social status, aimed at urban elites and middle classes. Political imaginations were debated in the press; in clubs and associations an emerging collective identity could be negotiated. New cultural codes in language, clothing, behavior, leisure time and sociability evolved, at times challenging the colonial order.

Focusing on the practice and discourse of African actors, the workshop looks at decolonization not only as a political but also as a profoundly cultural process, and seeks  connections between both approaches. Possible topics include advertising messages of marketing experts; the local appropriation of European consumer goods; social spaces of the urban elite and middle classes; places of sociability in the cities and debates about cultural developments and political events.

In discussions about their ongoing research projects, participants seek to explore how to analytically  associate medial discourse with social practices. What are ways of handling the category ‘modernity’ in Africa – does emphasizing the view of the actors offer a prolific approach? Does it change our view of political processes in Twentieth Century Africa to follow those questions across historical caesuras like the Second World War or political independence into the history of the young postcolonial states? Does an approach like that emphasize political breaks, or does it blur the lines between them?

We welcome contributions from scholars of all disciplines working on late colonial and postcolonial Africa.

Possible topics include:

• Consumer behavior  and politics of consumption in (post-)colonial settings
• Advertising and marketing in African societies
• Press and (popular) media: newspapers, magazines, radio, cinema
• New elites: cultures, discourses, places of sociability and social life; construction of gender roles, identity formation and visions of life
• Urban places/spaces of public life and emerging urban popular culture: associations, leisure activities, clubs, cinema, sports

The workshop takes the form of an extensive discussion based on papers which will be sent by the organizers to all participants beforehand. The speakers – organized in panels – will present their paper’s central points in a 10-minutes lecture followed up by a commentary and a discussion.

We invite scholars interested in presenting a paper at the workshop to send a 300-word abstract and a short biographical sketch to

african.modernity@sfb-repraesentationen.de

by 7th July 2010. Papers for the presentation must be submitted to the same email address by 31st October 2010.

The workshop will be held in English and French; however, we ask for abstracts to be in English only.

There are funds available to cover transport and accommodation for most participants. We seek to secure additional funding.

Contact information:

Regina Finsterhölzl / Daniel Tödt

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Sonderforschungsbereich 640 / Teilprojekt B2
Unter den Linden 6
D-10099 Berlin
Germany

regina.finsterhoelzl@staff.hu-berlin.de
daniel.toedt@staff.hu-berlin.de

Tel: +49-(0)30-2093-4984
Fax: +49-(0)30-2093-4893

URL:
http://www.sfb-repraesentationen.de/veranstaltungen/tagungen-und-workshops/elite-formation/