Die Irmgard Coninx Stiftung ruft – zusammen mit WZB und HU – auch dieses Jahr wieder zum runden Tisch über transnationale Fragen auf. Das Thema ist etwas spezieller, es soll um „Financialization and Everyday Life“ gehen. Was das heißen soll, erläutert ein Background Paper. Alle weiteren Infos zu der im Juni stattfindenden und bis zum 27. März um Papiere bittenden Veranstaltung findet ihr hier oder unter dem Strich. Zusätzlicher Anreiz übrigens: Man kann im Anschluss an die Konferenz noch ein 3-Monats-Research-Stipendium am WZB erhalten und Reise und Unterkunft in Berlin werden generell bezahlt.

The 14th Berlin Roundtables on Transnationality conducted by the Irmgard Coninx Foundation, the Social Science Research Centre Berlin and Humboldt-University Berlin,  25 – 29 June 2011

Topic

The recent financial crisis has once more revealed the power financial markets hold over everyday life. The financial and especially the credit and loan system has lost its reputation as a driving force for economic growth. It now increasingly stands for the ongoing dispossession of the middle classes and even more of already vulnerable populations. From a broader perspective, however, this is only one aspect of the ongoing financialization. In fact, many have argued that financialization has given the average citizen unprecedented power over corporations through political consumerism and shareholder activism. And corporations respond to these new demands through large CSR programs and codes of conduct.

The 14th Berlin Roundtables seeks to address the financialization beyond a narrow economic framework as a social, political and cultural process in the advanced industrial countries, as well as in transitional societies and developing countries and at a variety of levels – local, national, and regional. The conference will be divided into two workshops:

Workshop I ‘Deconstructing Credit and Money in Neoliberalism: Power, Culture, and History’ chaired by Jane Guyer (Anthropology, Johns Hopkins University) and Susanne Soederberg (Global Development & Political Studies, Queen’s University, Canada) and

Workshop II ‘Financialization and Corporate Social Responsibility: Consumers and Investors as the New Policymakers?’ chaired by Boris Holzer (Sociology, University of Bielefeld) and Bryane Michael (Economics, Stockholm School of Economics)

For further information, please see the Background Paper.

Based on an international essay competition, approximately 30 applicants will be invited to discuss their research and practical ideas with prominent scholars at one of Europe’s leading research institutions. The Roundtables will be accompanied by evening lectures.

Application Procedure

The call for papers extends to scholars (max. up to 5 years after Ph.D.) and practitioners. Please submit your paper (maximum 3500 words including footnotes and bibliography), an abstract (max. 300 words), a narrative biography and a CV using the online submission form on the Foundation’s website. Submission deadline is 27 March 2011. Please note that co-authorship and already published papers will not be accepted.

The workshop will be held at the Social Science Research Centre Berlin (WZW) 25 – 29 June 2011. Travel and accommodation expenses for participants will be covered by the Irmgard Coninx Foundation. All participants are expected to actively participate during the full three days of this workshop.

Irmgard Coninx Research Grant

After the conference, a jury will award up to two three-month fellowships among the workshop participants to be used for research and academic networking in Berlin at the WZB. The grant includes a monthly stipend of 1,000 Euro plus accommodation in Berlin.