The Society for U.S. Intellectual History invites proposals for its 2017 conference, to be held Oct. 26-29, 2017 at the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center in Plano, TX.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Histories of Memory, Memories of History.” Along with keynote speaker Annette Gordon-Reed, we look forward to exploring this rich topic through submissions reflecting on that theme. We are also glad to consider submissions that address any period or problem in U.S. intellectual history, broadly defined. We invite traditional panels (3-4 presenters, plus chair/commentator); roundtables (4-5 discussants, plus chair); guided discussions (3-4 moderators, who lead breakout discussion groups); and single paper submissions. (See below for specific guidelines regarding each type of submission.)
Our annual meeting is meant to be a rich and diverse forum for those practicing intellectual history, so we encourage scholars from across the disciplines, as well as scholars at all stages of career development, to propose topics, panels and papers. Deadline for submissions is April 15, 2017. Deadline for submissions has been extended to May 1, 2017.
Types of Submissions
The committee will consider the following types of submissions:
Traditional Panels: 4-6 people
A traditional panel will include a chairperson and either three or four presenters. The panel chairperson may also serve as a commentator, or the panel may include a separate commentator.
Traditional Panel submissions must include the following materials: a title for the panel; a designated chair; names, email addresses, and institutional affiliations (if any) of all panel participants; a 300 word abstract for each paper; a separate 500 word abstract for the entire panel; a one-page CV for each participant.
Roundtables: 4-6 people
A roundtable will include four or five discussants. One of the discussants may serve as the roundtable chair/moderator, or the roundtable may include a separate chair/moderator.
Roundtable submissions must include the following materials: a title for the roundtable; names, email addresses, and institutional affiliations (if any) of all roundtable participants; a 300 word description of each discussant’s expected contribution to or intervention in the discussion; a separate 500 word abstract for the entire roundtable; a one-page CV for each participant.
Guided Discussions: 4 People
Guided Discussion sessions ask the audience to consider four interrelated scholarly or pedagogical questions. Presenters each speak for 5-10 minutes, laying out one of the four questions. Audience members then split into four groups, each led by one of the presenters to discuss the question s/he asked. Presenters then report their table’s discussion to the room and a room-wide discussion is held.
Guided Discussion submissions must include the following materials: a title for the session; names, email addresses, and institutional affiliations (if any) of all discussion leaders; a proposed discussion question and a 300 word abstract from each discussion leader; a 500 word abstract for the entire session; a one-page CV for each participant.
Single Papers:
While our committee will give preference to full panel proposals, we are also glad to consider proposals for single papers. Our committee will strive to group thematically or methodologically related papers together in cohesive panels, and we will be soliciting volunteers to chair / comment on such panels. To help us assemble panels from single paper submissions, please include 3-5 keywords in your paper prospectus.
Single paper submissions must include the following materials: title of paper; name, email address, and institutional affiliation of the author; a 500 word prospectus for the paper, including 3-5 keywords; a one-page CV.
Submission Guidelines
- The committee is especially eager to ensure a diverse representation of scholars at the conference. We welcome submissions from graduate students, professional historians, academics working in adjacent fields, scholarly professionals working outside the academy, and independent scholars. We strongly encourage panels that reflect the diversity of our field in terms of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and/or institutional prestige of panelists.
- Individuals may appear on the program no more than twice. Those appearing twice must do so in two distinct capacities (paper presenter, panel commentator, roundtable discussant, etc). Participants may, for example, deliver a paper and be a panel commentator, but may not present two papers.
- Panels that require a projector or other audio-visual hookup must notify the committee at the time of submission.
- The committee will assume that submission to the conference is an indication that participants will be attending the entire conference. We will be unable to accommodate any scheduling requests.
- All persons appearing on the program will be required to register for the conference and to become members of S-USIH.
- Deadline for submissions is April 15, 2017. All submissions must be submitted via email as a single .docx or .pdf file.
- Submissions must be emailed to the following address: [email protected]
Panel / session organizers will be notified of the committee’s decision no later than June 10, 2017.
Questions regarding the 2017 conference may be sent to the conference email address, linked above.