Cultural Borders and Bridges: Europe and Asia
A Conference
(Japanese Studies Centre, Building 54, Monash University Clayton 3-4 November, 2005)
Reflecting a multiplicity of methods and theoretical frameworks, the conference will explore phenomena of proximity and difference, of influence and resistance to influence, across the cultural divides both between and within Asia and Europe, focusing on them especially but not exclusively as they relate to modernisation.
Proposals for contributions grounded in historical sociology as well as psychoanalysis, civilisational theory as well as history of ideas, international relations theory as well as cultural studies, indeed in any of the humanities and social science disciplines, will be welcome. Papers may be oriented toward either or both of two spatial nodes ( Europe and Asia ), and may address any of the relations of proximity and separation alluded to by the metaphors of border and bridge.
In particular, contributors may wish to address the evolution of civilisational (intellectual and cultural) forms and identities in relation to perceptions of civilisational others; responses to, and consequences of, the exchange of intellectual and cultural stimuli between Europe and Asia; the emergence of rifts within political and cultural entities and the process of adjustment to new identity formations; cultural margins and civilisational choices; popular cultures and high cultures in their roles as cultural bridges; and multicultural experience as constitutive of modern identity.
Guest speakers will include Johann Arnason (Monash University), Kang Myung Koo (Seoul National University) and Tong Shijun (Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences).
Assistance by the Japan-Korea node of the ARC Asia Pacific Futures Research Network and the Japanese Studies Centre of Monash University is gratefully acknowledged.
Register for the conference (Adobe Acrobat format)
(revised registration date: 30 September 2005)
This conference is organized by the "Cultural Bridges and Borders: Europe and Asia" research cluster in the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics. Members include Marko Pavlyshyn (convenor), Gloria Davies , Natalie Doyle , Warren Sun , Alison Tokita , Christiane Weller , Robert Irving , Hiroko Hashimoto , Cristian Brasoveanu, Dimitris Vardoulakis, and Guanjun Wu.