CALL FOR PAPERS

Conference at the German Historical Institute, Washington, DC
"Representing Poverty: American and European Perspectives"

March 13-14, 2009

Organizers: Anke Ortlepp (German Historical Institute, Washington,
D.C.), Christoph Ribbat (University of Paderborn, Germany).

This conference invites historians, literary and cultural critics, and
journalists to discuss representations of poverty in contemporary
North America and Europe. The focus rests on the United States and
Germany, two societies marked by - albeit very specific - forms and
discourses of poverty in recent years. The conference organizers hope
to establish a dialogue between academic perspectives on the subject
and contributions by writers, filmmakers and photographers.

The guiding questions of the project concern a central issue in
American and German cultural history: the problems and the potential
of documentary work on the poor since the 19th century. A number of
significant studies have analyzed the narratives of the poor
critically. Scholars have exposed both the problematic ideologies
underlying photographic and journalistic representations and the
complex theoretical questions raised by the rhetoric of authenticity.

This conference suggests a more pragmatic approach to poverty and its
representation. How effective, this project asks, are visual and
verbal narratives of poverty in triggering social reform and/or
cultural change? What possibilities and strategies exist, for
photographers and journalists, to alert audiences to the issue of
poverty? What can literary and cultural history contribute to the
field? In how far do global perspectives challenge the very concept of
poverty in the United States and Germany? The conference, the
organizers hope, will establish a multi-faceted context for
conversations of central importance in the contemporary US and in
Germany.

Please send a proposal of no more than 500 words and a brief CV to
Bärbel Thomas at B.Thomasghi-dc.org. The deadline for submission is
August 31, 2008. Participants will be notified by the end of September
2008.

The conference will be held in English and focus on the discussion of
pre-circulated papers of about 5,000 to 6,000 words (due by January
30, 2009). Cost of travel and accommodation will be covered.

Please send inquiries to one of the conveners: Anke Ortlepp (ortleppghi-dc.org
) and Christoph Ribbat (ribbatmail.upb.de).