cfp.english.upenn.edu

Unity/Disunity: An Interdisciplinary Conference 27-28 June 2013 at UCL

UCL School of European Languages, Culture and Society (SELCS)
UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES)

“In union there is strength.” Aesop
“You cannot conceive the many without the one.” Plato
“The principle of contradiction makes the thought of unity the measure of heterogeneity.” Theodor W. Adorno
“In the space between chaos and shape there was another chance.” Jeanette Winterson

The conference organisers invite proposals for papers relating to the connected themes of unity and disunity from scholars across a wide spectrum of disciplines.

We welcome papers dealing with historical as well as contemporary sources from Europe and beyond, from any disciplinary or inter- disciplinary perspective.

Proposals for panel discussions, performances, artistic installations and workshops are also welcome.

The aim of the conference is to interrogate the concepts of unity and disunity from a variety of perspectives. These perspectives might encompass the following, though other interpretations are of course gladly received:

● Does unity mean homogenisation or the harmonious coexistence of different voices?
● Does disunity mean opposition and conflict, or is it a space for creative difference?
● How have models of unity and disunity, of order and chaos, influenced creative works?
● What fractures and disunities exist within apparent unity?

Submissions may deal with the theme of unity/disunity as a concept in itself, or with unity/disunity in relation to other topics, including but not limited to:

● Identity/cultural heritage
● Creativity & the arts
● Language
● Religion, ethics and morality
● International/regional politics
● The global economy
● Interdisciplinarity as a discipline
● Physical/psychological space

Please send in an abstract (250 words), 5 keywords and a brief biographical statement (50 words) to thoughtsforward@gmail.com . Deadline for submissions is 28th March 2013.

Visit the blog for updates and practical information: unitydisunity.wordpress.com

For further information contact Elizabeth Harvey - elizabeth.harvey@ucl.ac.uk