2014 Graduate History Conference: Continuity and Change in Doing History

Call For Papers

March 29, 2014 | Graduate Program in History, University of Massachusetts Boston

The History Graduate Student Association at the University of Massachusetts Boston invites graduate students to submit proposals for its third annual History Conference to be held March, 29, 2014.

Where does your work fit into larger historical narratives? The HGSA conference seeks to answer this question by addressing how our work contributes to ever-changing historical narratives. It is essential for the professional historian to understand how the interpretation of history has changed over time. This allows scholars to contextualize their own interests, as well as redefine and reinterpret information. Historians must also confront changing perceptions regarding objectivity and how the context of the present influences how we view of the past. Continuity and change in historical narratives affect not only how academics understand history, but how teachers and historical interpreters present history in schools and to the public.

The committee welcomes all papers on any historical subject. Special interest will be paid to proposals addressing changing historical interpretations. Topics can include but are not limited to: how new approaches to studying history are helping to advance the field and change preconceived notions of history; how history is being presented to the public in new and innovative ways; how your work incorporates methods used by scholars in other disciplines; how non-traditional sources inform your work; how public historians are utilizing evolving scholarships in exhibits, tours, and other interpretive tools; or how archivists are diversifying the archival record. Proposals should distinctly express how these and/or other approaches to the topic contribute to ever-changing historical narratives.

Panel presentations and a roundtable discussion will take place during the day on Saturday, and will conclude with a reception for conference participants in the evening.

Interested individuals should submit a 200-to 300-word abstract and CV to Alexandra Borkowski (Alexandra.Borkows001@umb.edu) by January 4, 2014. The committee will notify the individuals selected to be on a panel by January 15, 2014.