Cultures of Occupation: New Paradigms, Models and Comparisons

23 April to 25 April 2020

University of Nottingham

The aim of this 3-day conference (April 23 to April 25, 2020), organised through the ERC-funded 'Cultures of Occupation in Twentieth Century Asia' (COTCA) Project, is to bring together scholars from a range of disciplines, backgrounds, and societies to explore the fundamental question which drives the COTCA Project itself: how does 'foreign occupation' (broadly defined) influence cultural expression and cultural production? Although the focus of the COTCA Project is East and Southeast Asia, we welcome submissions from scholars working on cases of foreign occupation in any part of the world, and from the late nineteenth century to the present day. The organisers are particularly interested in comparative and/or theoretical papers and panels which move beyond specific cases of occupation, and which encourage new approaches to the study of culture and cultural production under occupation more generally.

Possible themes for papers might include (but are not limited to):

1. The development of visual, musical, auditory, literary, performative, and architectural cultures under foreign occupation.
2. Censorship and control of cultural expression under foreign occupation, and responses to such control.
3. The gendering of cultural expression and cultural production under occupation.
4. The control and re-ordering of space under occupation.
5. Social and cultural memory of historical cases of foreign occupation.

Proposals for individual 20-minute papers, or for panels of three papers (no discussants required), are welcome from scholars at all stages of their careers. Paper abstracts of 300 words, along with a short biographical note of no more than 100 words (indicating institutional affiliation, position, and contact details), should be sent to COTCA2020@nottingham.ac.uk by the deadline of Friday 15 November 2019.

A decision on abstracts will be made in December 2019.

Selected presenters will be eligible for reimbursement of some travel costs to and from Nottingham, and will be provided with 4-star hotel accommodation and some meals in Nottingham during the conference.

Questions can be directed to the Director of the COTCA Project, Dr Jeremy Taylor. 

Download the Call for Papers information here (PDF)