Call for Papers
The Annual University of Texas at El Paso Borderlands History Conference
Violence, Coercion, and Social Change in Borderlands History
February 2-4, 2018, El Paso, Texas
Submission deadline: September 15, 2017
Presented by the UTEP Department of History
Keynote Speaker: Raphael Folsom, Assistant Professor of history at the University of Oklahoma and author of The Yaquis & The Empire: Violence, Spanish Imperial Power, and Native Resilience in Colonial Mexico (Yale University Press, 2014)
The Department of History at the University of Texas at El Paso announces the third annual UTEP Borderlands History Conference to be held February 2-4, 2018. This year’s theme, Violence, Coercion, and Social Change in Borderlands History, encourages scholars of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands to explore the many-faceted exercise of violence and coercion in la frontera, and the ways in which it has shaped society, culture, and power dynamics. While the national media and politicians have sometimes promoted wildly inaccurate claims about levels of violence in particular borderlands locations, this call for papers is a reflection of our belief that violence and coercion have indeed played a significant role in the history of the region, and that careful, balanced studies of that role might better inform contemporary discussions. This topic lends itself to exploration from a number of perspectives, including, but not limited to:
- Histories of military confrontation and conquest
- Creation and militarization of the border
- Nation building and state formation at the border
- Racial, ethnic and class conflict and exclusion
- Effects of globalization
- Histories of illicit commerce
- State violence and social protests
- Vigilantism and militia movements
- Gender based violence and anti-violence activism
We welcome proposals for individual papers or 3-4 person panels from scholars at all stages of their careers, including advanced doctoral students. Please note that the papers and panels should be fundamentally historical and that preference will be given to those that relate to the main theme of the conference. Each paper proposal should include a 250-word abstract and one-page CV. Panel proposals also should contain a short (200 words max) description of the connecting theme and should include a balance of scholars from both the U.S. and Mexico. Papers may be in Spanish or English; translation will be provided. Papers may be considered for publication.
Please email inquiries and proposals to historyconference@utep.edu. The deadline for submission is September 15, 2017. Visit borderhistoryconf.utep.edu for updates and additional information.
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