Call for Papers: 2013 Africa Conference at the University of Texas at Austin

2013 Africa Conference at the University of Texas at Austin
Theme: Social Movements, Religion and Political Expression in Africa
Dates: March 29-31, 2013
Venue: The University of Texas at Austin
Convener: Toyin Falola

The organizers are inviting scholars to submit papers and panel recommendations for the 2013 Africa Conference on Social Movements, Religion and Political Expression in Africa. Africa is among the most socially and culturally diverse continents in the world and has traditionally been an economic and cultural highway of Europe and the Middle East. In addition to thousands of ethnic groups and languages, Africa is also a melting pot of world religion, resulting in emergent faiths and new interpretations of established religious beliefs and practices. Furthermore, events since decolonization have shown that Africa is in a constant state of redefinition, with protest, dissent, and revolution a standard in political, cultural and social spaces. Therefore, the goal of this year's conference is to generate an interdisciplinary dialogue about the historical and contemporary role of Africa in fostering social, cultural, and political change within the borders of its individual countries, throughout the continent and around the world. It is also the goal of this conference to engage in a dialogue about the concept of social movements, their evolution through history and their implications on modern political, social and cultural issues.

Potential paper topics may include, but are not limited to:
· Expressions of Dissent and Protest
· Political Transformation
· Issues of Power and Authority
· Social and Cultural Imperialism
· The Impact of Islam, Christianity and Judaism in Africa
· Religious Movements and Religious Expressions
· Indigenous and Syncretic Religions
· Sports, Leisure and Cultural Expression
· African Popular Music and Culture
· World Music
· The Politics of Women¹s Movements
· Education and Mobilization
· Ethnicities and Identities
· Cultural Diasporas
· The Effects of Globalization on African Society and Culture
· Technology and Social Movements
· Nationalism
· Violence and Victimization
· Institutionalization of Social Movements

As in years past, participants will be drawn from around the world. Graduate students are encouraged to attend and present papers. The conference will provide time for scholars from various disciplines and geographical locations to interact, exchange ideas, and receive feedback. Submitted papers will be assigned to particular panels according to similarities in theme, topic, discipline, or geographical location. Additionally, selected papers will be published in book form.

The deadline for submitting paper proposals is November 30, 2012.
Proposals should include:

1. A 250-word abstract and title
2. The author's name (with last name underlined)
3. Postal address
4. Telephone number
5. Email address
6. Institutional affiliation

Please submit the proposal in Microsoft Word titled as LastName_FirstName. This will help in our organization of the proposals.

Please submit all abstracts to:
Toyin Falola: toyin dot falola at mail dot utexas dot edu
and
Ryan Groves & Lady Jane Acquah:
africaconference2013 at gmail dot com

A mandatory non-refundable registration fee of $150 must be paid immediately when an abstract is accepted. Graduate students must pay a reduced fee of $100. Go to the Conference Shop (http://utdirect.utexas.edu/txshop/list.WBX?cart_id=0HIHISTOR&cat_seq_chosen=01&subcategory_seq_chosen=000&component=0&application_name=HIHISTOR&cart_id=0HIHISTOR ) where you can pay with a VISA, Mastercard, or Discover card. If you prefer to send a check, select the pre-pay option. Write the check out to the "University of Texas" and enter "Conference" on the memo line. Please be sure that your name is somehow printed on the check so that the organizers can easily correlate your payment with your abstract.

It is expected that all participants will raise the funding necessary to attend the conference. The University of Texas at Austin does not provide participants with any form of funding support, travel expenses, or boarding expenses. If the conference obtains outside funding this will be used to help subsidize graduate students’ accommodation on a competitive basis, but is not guaranteed.

Badassy, P. CFP: AFRICA CONFERENCE 2013. H-AFRICA listserv (H-AFRICA@H-NET.MSU.EDU, 10 Apr 2012).