Young Scholars School
«European Identity:Concepts – Research Methods – Evidence»
17th – 23rd March, 2013
Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena (Germany)
Call for Papers
Research on European integration is facing the pressing question of what holds the European ‘family’ together in times of scarcity, conflict, danger, and threat. Looking for answers to this question, a multitude of publications stresses the need for group cohesion in the European Union. The gradual emergence of a European collective identity, entrenched in the EU citizens’ consciousness of sharing a common fate, is said to be a means of overcoming centrifugal tendencies due to the increased heterogeneity of today’s European Union of 27 member states and nearly 500 million people.
Although publications are not lacking, previous research on European identity provides inconsistent evidence, contradictory conclusions and controversial diagnoses. This unsatisfying situation is mainly caused by lasting theoretical and methodological challenges in analysing collective identities in general and European identity in particular. Therefore, further progress in European identity research depends on the scholars’ ability to cope with three challenges:
1) the need to strengthen our efforts on theory-building by reconsidering the conceptual bases and theoretical premises of European identity research;
2) the need to consolidate our empirical knowledge on European identity by improving our methods and refining our instruments of measurement;
3) the need to open up novel research perspectives by using an interdisciplinary approach on collective identity research.
Against the background of a contested European Union and the lasting challenges to European identity research, the Young Scholars School intends to stimulate fresh ideas by bringing together international young scholars, experienced researchers and high profile students.
We offer three main tracks for participation – school sessions, SMC-meetings and a two-day workshop.
SESSION TRACK
The first part of the Young Scholars School is organized as a three-day seminar. Based on twosessions a day, the participants will critically discuss different aspects of European identity research with international high profile students working at the international forefront of research on this topic. The sessions capture the aforementioned challenges of European identity research:
1) conceptual intricacy, theoretical shortcomings and the challenge of mitigating scholarly
schisms (Sessions I & II)
2) methodological difficulties and the challenge of applying innovative qualitative and quantitative research methods (Sessions III, IV & V)
3) the problem of inconsistent evidence and conflicting diagnoses as well as the challenge of defining a coherent and interdisciplinary research agenda (Session VI).
The ambitious goal of this part of the school is both to initiate a debate about how we can alleviate lasting shortcomings in European identity research and stimulate fresh ideas for a
future research agenda.
SMC TRACK
Moreover, we intend to encourage further interaction and intellectual exchange between young and senior researchers in two evening meetings entitled “Seniors Meet Critique”. The guest speakers will select one of their papers (published or work in progress) and discuss it with the young scholars. In preparation of the “SMC-meetings”, the school’s organizers will structure the discussion in that they build discussant-teams. Two or three young scholars will be asked to critically discuss the paper of one senior scholar.
WORKSHOP TRACK
The second part of the Young Scholars School is organized as a two-day-workshop. The young scholars will be given the opportunity to present their own research projects in a forum of both junior and senior researchers as well as to discuss their ideas in greater detail.
This part of the school is accordingly conceptualized as an exclusive international junior researchers’ convention, the results of which will be published. Depending on the number of participants and their papers’ subjects, the workshop will be split in several panels. Furthermore, it will be based on the discussant-model in order to intensify both the interaction betweenjuniors and seniors and the discussion of the young scholars’ papers by their peers. Inthis way, the school’s organizers want to assure a publication of an innovative character thatstimulates further progress in European identity research and meets high professional standards at the same time.
PARTICIPATION AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
The Young Scholars School is directed to excellent and highly trained PhD students and postdocs working on different aspects of European identity. Applications are invited from youngscholars in the fields of Political Science, EU-Studies, International Relations and Comparative
Politics, as well as fields of other social sciences such as Sociology, Social Psychology and Mass communication. The PhD students should be advanced and at least one year into their studies.
The participation fee is 75€, including accommodation and breakfast for the duration of the school. However, participants are expected to cover their travel expenses. Active participation is required by:
-* · presenting a paper for the workshop track
-* · serving as a discussant in the SMC-meetings
-* · serving as a discussant for a paper presented by a fellow PhD candidate or post-doc in the workshop track
Deadlines:
· Application forms and paper abstracts for the workshop track should be submitted not later than November 15, 2012. Abstracts of 300 to 500 words have to be submitted in English. Please use the upload-center on the school’s website: www.identityschool-2013.uni-jena.de for your application.
· Notification of acceptance/rejection will be given by November 30, 2012.
· Full papers for the workshop track will be due by January 21, 2013. All papers will be uploaded on the school’s website, so that participants and seniors have full access to the entire material (including seminar materials, presentations, senior scholars’ papers and papers of the peers).
· The first paper version for publication will be due by May 30, 2013.
Selection of applicants will act in accordance with the following criteria:
Excellence
· the paper’s original and innovative character, including a well sounded justification of the paper’s focus
· clarity of the paper’s research puzzle as well as the quality of the paper’s theoretical fundament and methodological approach
· kind, status and progress of work (e.g. PhD thesis, time span of work, publication status)
Interdisciplinarity
· the applicant’s research discipline within the social sciences
· the paper’s interdisciplinary potential
Internationality
· the applicant’s home institution and international networking
Please find more information on the Young Scholars School on our website:
http://www.identity-school-2013.uni-jena.de
We look forward to welcoming you in Jena.
