CALL FOR Cultural Studies in Post-Socialist Spaces. Modern, Language Association Convention roundtable, Slavic & East European, Languages

Modern Language Association Convention
06.01.2011-09.01.2011, Los Angeles, CA
Deadline: 15.03.2010

Homepage http://www.mla.org/convention

This roundtable will address the development and implementation of Cultural Studies as a discipline in Eastern Europe since 1991, particularly against the backdrop of 'kuturologia' and other histories of social criticism. Please note that this discussion will concern more than how we might apply the methods and approaches of Cultural Studies to the region (i.e., Cultural Studies of post-socialist spaces). Rather, we will try to chart the changes taking place in the region over the past 20 years in departments, disciplines, and institutes previously associated with the study of culture-'kulturologia' -and how the history and politics of the loosely-defined field of Cultural Studies is being mapped on to these institutions. What unique challenges are faced by the different generations of scholars in the region, with varying levels of access to new media and foreign languages? How are they affected by pan-European reforms in higher education, such as Bologna accreditation
and Erasmus exchanges? Or by broader trends impacting universities in the rest of the world?

Please submit abstracts of 350-500 words to Jessie Labov
labov.1@osu.edu  by March 15.