Comunicazione AIS sul convegno "Globalization, Secularisation and Religion - Different States, Same Trajectories?"

Dear all,

Guy Ben-Porat and I are organising the following workshop at the ECPR Joint Sessions, St Gallen, Switzerland, 12-16 April 2011. There will be places for around 20 people to attend the workshop. The deadline to apply is 1 December 2010. You apply by contacting Guy (Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.) and I (Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.). If you have already applied there is no need to apply again to us. Selection of applicants will take place after 1 December.

Workshop 1: Globalization, Secularisation and Religion – Different States, Same Trajectories?

Directors:
Jeffrey Haynes (London Metropolitan University - Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.)
Guy Ben-Porat (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev - Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.)

Existing religion-state arrangements in states around the world are challenged by changes associated with globalisation. Economic and political changes globalisation carries are often associated with a process of sustained secularisation, unleashing of market forces and changed demographics that can significantly undermine existing arrangements involving religion, state and society. Recent accounts of secularisation open the way for more nuanced, critical and empirical research of the declining role of religion in society vis-à-vis other systems (political and economic), the role of religion in individual lives (beliefs, practices and values) as well as the reassertion of religion in political life. The chief aim of the workshop is to (1) identify political, cultural, economic and demographic changes associated with globalisation and examine their impact on religion-state and religion-society relations and (2) develop comparative and theoretical studies of secular-religious engagements in specific locations. The following questions will be at the core of this workshop and participants are invited to address them in their papers. They will be key to the debates in the workshop:
• What is the influence of globalisation on religious institutions and belief systems?
• How do secular groups organise to take advantage of these changes?
• How do religious groups struggle to preserve or enhance the status of religion?
• What new political arrangements involving religion, society and state are as a consequence formed?

ACADEMIC PROGRAMME

The European Consortium for Political Research was formed in 1970 by representatives of 8 political science institutions in Europe. The membership has now grown to nearly 350 universities, research and teaching institutions in Europe and associate members elsewhere. The Joint Sessions of Workshops have been referred to as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the ECPR and are recognised as one of the main highlights of the world’s political science calendar. The Joint Sessions have taken place annually in the spring since 1973. The main aim of the Joint Sessions of Workshops is the participation and equality of endeavour between advanced students, younger and newer members of the profession and well-established professors. In order to achieve this, the size of each workshop is strictly limited. Each participant is expected to be carrying out research in the field of the workshop, so that he or she can present a paper or research document for discussion, as well as take part in the discussion of the other papers presented. Participants may attend only one workshop and should stay for the duration of the Joint Sessions.

Applications
Prospective participants should contact the director/s of the workshop in which they are interested in the first instance, bearing in mind that they will be expected to present a paper and should, therefore, be conducting advanced research in that particular area. An application to participate should include a short summary of the proposed paper, with an explanation as to how this will fit into the general theme of the workshop. Participants are expected to contribute fully to one workshop for the whole period of the Joint Sessions. They should not, therefore, apply to more than one workshop.
Deadline for applications: 1 December 2010

Venue
The Joint Sessions of Workshops in 2011 will be hosted by the University of St Gallen in Switzerland. All conference facilities (registration, book exhibition, information desk) and workshops will take place in the main building on the university campus. The address is: Main Building, Dufourstrasse 45, 9000 St Gallen, Switzerland.

Timetable
Participants should arrive and register on Tuesday, 12 April, after 14:00 hrs. Workshops will begin on Wednesday, 13 April at 0900 hrs. And will end on Sunday,17 April at 1300 hrs.

Social Programme
The (provisional) social programme includes a dinner for workshop directors and others involved in the organisation of the Joint Sessions on Tuesday, 12 April, the official welcome on Wednesday 13 April, followed by a reception to be hosted by the University. There will be a free afternoon for excursions (choice between lake and mountain) on Thursday, 14 April. The Stein Rokkan Lecture will be presented on Saturday, 16 April by Elinor Ostrom, followed by a reception at the university. Tours of St Gallen are offered on Thursday, 14 April in the afternoon and on Friday, 15 April from 6pm.

Accommodation & Excursions
A specialist agency will handle all hotel reservations and bookings for excursions. The Internet address will soon be advertised.

Transportation
St. Gallen can be easily reached by train through Zurich, Basel, Stuttgart, Munich, Vienna or Milan. Participants who fly should plan to arrive at Zurich airport which has international and intercontinental flights from most places. The train station is in the airport itself.
There are trains every 30 minutes directly to St. Gallen (about 40 minutes journey). Tickets can be purchased in the train station or in the train itself with a surplus of about 3 Euros. It is possible to pay in Swiss Francs or in Euros, cash or with credit card. Please see here: http://www.unisg.ch/en/UeberUns/AnfahrtUndCampusplan.aspx
Further logistic information will be updated on the ECPR site.

Finance and Conference Fees
Where no other source of finance is available, the ECPR has a grant which those from ECPR full member institutions can apply for, subject to meeting specified criteria. Please see the ecpr website for full details, under the heading of Funding & Awards. Unfortunately, it is not possible to extend funding to non-ECPR member participants who will be required to pay a conference fee of £300 in advance.
Further information: A more detailed outline of each workshop is available on the ECPR website together with updated day-by day programme of events at http://www.ecprnet.eu/joint_sessions/st_gallen/
Joëlle Allouche-Benayoun


INFO

Université Paris-Est Créteil- UPEC
94000 Créteil
Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.

CNRS, Groupe Sociétés,Religions,Laïcités
Site Pouchet, 59-61 rue Pouchet,75017 Paris
Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.