University of Sheffield, UK
26-27 January 2018
Deadline : 21 September 2017
For four decades after the end of the Second World War, competition between
the
socialist and capitalist blocs shaped international relations on a global
scale. For the main protagonists, the USA, USSR, and their near neighbours in
Europe, it was a deferred conflict, but also, paradoxically, a ‘total war’
for which citizens must be ever-vigilant. The aim of this conference is to
consider the ‘home fronts’ in those countries deeply implicated in the Cold
War but removed from the fighting. How did the Cold War transform domestic
politics and culture? What were the limits of the Cold War’s domestic reach?
And were there common experiences of the Cold War on both sides of the
conflict?
In this 2-day conference we hope to address the following themes and
questions:
Were cultural and political elites able to create and sustain widespread
support for the Cold War conflict?
How was the national community and its enemy ‘other’ imagined?
Did ideological difference shape the way the Cold War was legitimised?
How far were these efforts disrupted by counter-cultural or radical groups?
What was the impact of this ‘imaginary war’ on conceptions of family,
childhood, and gender?
How did the nuclear arms proliferation, disarmament and industry affect local
communities, the landscape, and the environment?
How did the ‘religious cold war’ affect faith communities at home?
In what ways did the global crusade to export liberal democracy / socialism to
the post-colonial world shape identities back home?
How were definitions of citizenship, rights, and duties reconfigured by the
cold war?
We particularly welcome papers adopting a comparative approach, but recognize
that some potential contributors might prefer to focus on specific national
experiences. We will devise panels in such a way as to encourage comparative
discussion during each session.
Papers (max 5000 words) will be pre-circulated to participants to facilitate
comparative discussion.
We hope to produce a journal special issue based on a small selection of
papers
depending on the outcomes of the conference.
We will be able to provide accommodation for participants and contribute
towards travel funds.
If you are interested, please send abstracts (max 300 words) to Miriam Dobson
(m.dobson@sheffield.ac.uk) by Thursday 21 September 2017.
Convenors: Miriam Dobson, Eirini Karamouzi, Sarah Miller-Davenport
http://www.coldwarcultures. group.shef.ac.uk/event/cold- war-home-fronts/
