The Istanbul Şehir University is holding a conference on ‘1917-2017: The Russian Revolution and the (Post-)Ottoman World‘ from 3-5 November 2017. The Call for Papers is open until 10 May 2017.
To the CfP:
The Russian Revolution of 1917 was one of the most critical moments in the history of the world. It has brought about changes that transformed the politics, economy, culture, and society not only in its own borders but beyond; with the shockwaves of the revolutionary ideas echoing all around the world. This conference aims at an investigation of the influence of the Russian Revolution over the then-emerging post-Ottoman world, which covers an area, including but not limited to, the Balkans, the Black Sea basin, the Caucasus, modern Turkey, and the MENA region.
The motivation behind the socialist state created after the revolution has been said to be the transformation of the existing order –e.g. politics, family, society- or even the complete destruction of its certain aspects –e.g. religion, market economy. What is usually lacking in this narrative, however, is the fact that the revolution also accommodated and appropriated some of the pre-existing ideas of the previous order, such as self-determination and nationalism that proved to be immensely influential for the emerging order in the post-Ottoman world.
In its centennial, there are still many unanswered questions and understudied areas relating to the Russian Revolution. How did the world respond to the ideas spread from the revolution? Did the reactions consist of outright rejection of such ideas or were there attempts at appropriation by Islamic intellectuals and scholars? Were the ideas of the revolution picked up by the nationalist movements in the Balkans and the MENA region vis-à-vis the Ottoman Empire? If so, why? What are the similarities and differences between the political systems and regimes crafted after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire to that of the Soviet state? These are some of the questions that the conference strives to shed light on.
We invite proposals that address the following topics and themes from a diverse set of perspectives and disciplines within the broader scope of social sciences and humanities, including history, political science, sociology, anthropology, area studies, comparative literature, and film studies. Interested applicants should be aware that this is not an exhaustive list and should not be treated as such.
- Ottoman – Russian interaction and competition in political, military, and cultural spheres
- The role of the Bolshevik revolutionaries and their ideas on the politics of the post-Ottoman world
- Soviet influence over regime and institution building in the post-Ottoman context
- Comparative analysis of single party governance in the Soviet Union and Turkey after the Bolshevik revolution with an emphasis on party organization
- The impact of the Bolshevik Revolution on the Ottoman and modern Turkish intellectuals, their imaginations, and on social movements
- Perceived Russian/Soviet threat in Turkish foreign policy
- Revolution and minorities in the post-Ottoman world
- Gendered interpretations and approaches to the revolution in the post-Ottoman context and its influence over women’s movement
- Religious institutions, ideas, and movements in the post-Ottoman countries after the Russian Revolution.
The conference will be conducted in Turkish and English. For detailed information about the Conference, please visit our website: http://cemts.sehir.edu.tr/1917
Selected papers will be published, details will be announced later.
Submission:
Paper proposals, (abstracts max. 300 words with short bio max. 300 words).
Panel proposals are also welcomed.
Important Dates
Application deadline: 10 May 2017
Notification of Acceptance: 15 June 2017
Registration date: 15 June – 15 September 2017
Announcement of the Conference Programme: 1 October, 2017
Date of the Conference: 3-5 November, 2017
Announcement of selected papers: 1 December 2017
Deadline for article: 1 February 2017
Contact:
For any questions regarding conference reach us by sending email 1917@sehir.edu.tr
Center for Modern Turkish Studies