12.0297 CFP: Nations and Networks

Humanist Discussion Group (humanist@kcl.ac.uk)
Mon, 9 Nov 1998 22:22:08 +0000 (GMT)

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 12, No. 297.
Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
<http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/>
<http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/>

Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1998 16:46:22 -0500 (EST)
From: "David L. Gants" <dgants@english.uga.edu>
Subject: CFP Nations and Networks

>> From: Sebastien Jean <sebastij@ERE.UMontreal.CA>

Nations and Networks: Cultures in Contact Through Technology
A joint Session by COCH/COSH and the Comparative Literature Society
Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Sherbrooke, Canada,
June 3-4 1999

What kind of interaction will develop between the traditional
communities we call nations and the rapidly growing network communities?
How does technology reinforce or undermine national boundaries? How will
network culture affect traditional cultural institutions, such as national
literatures? Does the new medium require new approaches to comparative
studies?

The nation is sometimes described as a fleeting social structure,
dwarfed by mobile, multi-national (non-national) corporate entities and
soon to disappear under the wave of globalization. Is it that simple? The
French sociologist Zaki Laidi recognizes five dimensions of our societies
affected by globalization: the market, communication, culture, politics,
and ideology. The nation, as the primary regulatory instance at the
intersection of these dimensions, defines itself through the
distinctive way it assigns value within and between these dimensions.
How will nationhood be shaped by technology?

Papers for this joint COCH/COSH- Compartive Literature session will
consider, from a theoretical and/or practical point of view, how national
cultures are adapting to the networked, technological world, and,
inversely, how technology is adapting
to cultural diversity.
R=E9seaux et Nations: La rencontre des cultures par la voie de la
technologie.
Une s=E9ance co-parrain=E9e par COCH/COSH et l=92Associatiocanadienne de=20
litterature compar=E9e.
Congr=E8s des sciences sociales et humaines, Sherbrooke, Canada, June
3-4, 1999

Quel type d=92interaction se d=E9veloppera entre ces communaut=E9s
traditionnelles
appel=E9es nations et les communaut=E9s qui prolif=E8rent sur les r=E9seaux
=E9lectroniques?
Dans quelle mesure la technologie mettra-t-elle en question les
fronti=E8res nationales
ou, au contraire, les renforcera? Quel effet aura la culture
=E9lectronique sur les
institutions culturelles traditionnelles, telles que celle d=92une
litt=E9rature nationale? Le
nouveau m=E9dium demandera-t-il une nouvelle approche aux =E9tudes
compar=E9es?

La nation semble =EAtre de plus en plus une structure sociale =E9ph=E9m=E8r=
e,
=E9clips=E9e par
les corporations multi-nationales (non-nationales) et bient=F4t submerg=E9e
sous la
vague de globalisation. Est-ce aussi simple que cela? Le sociologue Zaki
Laidi
reconna=EEt cinq dimension de nos soci=E9t=E9s qui sont influenc=E9es par l=
a
globalisation:
l=92=E9conomie, la communication, la culture, la politique et l=92id=E9olog=
ie.
La nation,
comme la principale instance r=E9gulatoire situ=E9e au carrefour de ces
dimensions, se
d=E9finit par la fa=E7on distinctive dont elle distribue la valeur, =E0 la
fois =E0 l=92int=E9rieur de
ces dimensions et entre celles-ci. Comment la nation se d=E9finira-t-elle
=E0 l=92avenir?

Les conf=E9rences de cette s=E9ance (co-parrain=E9e par COCH/COSH et
l=92association de
lit=E9rature compar=E9e) traiteront d=92un point de vue th=E9orique et/ou
pratique la fa=E7on
dont les cultures nationales sont en train de s=92adapter au monde
technologique et
connect=E9, et, inversement, la mani=E8re dont la technologie est en train
de s=92adapter =E0
la diversit=E9 culturelle.

Works Cited/ Ouvrages cit=E9s

Laidi, Zaki. Malaise dans la mondialisation. Paris: Editions Textuel,
1997.
---. Le Temps mondial. Bruxelles: Complexe, 1997.

Please send proposals for this session and a 250 word abstract by
January 1 to
either: / Veuillez envoyer des propositions pour cette s=E9ance et un
r=E9sum=E9 de 250
mots avant le 1 janvier soit =E0:

Jean Sebastien
D=E9partement de litt=E9rature compar=E9e
Universit=E9 de Montr=E9al.
C.P. 6128, Succ. A
Montr=E9al, Qc
Canada H3C 3J7
sebastij@ere.umontreal.ca

ou/soit =E0 :

Bill Winder
Department of French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies
#797-1873 East Mall
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6T 1Z1

Tel/T=E9l: (604)822-4022
Fax/T=E9l=E9c.: (604) 822-6675
Internet: winder@interchange.ubc.ca ; http://interchange.ubc.ca/winder

See also the web site /voir =E9galement le site Toile pour COCH/COSH :
http://purl.oclc.org/net/cochcosh.htm

--
W. Winder, Dept. of French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies
U. of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z1
Tel: 1(604)822-4022; Fax: 1(604)822-6675
Internet: winder@interchange.ubc.ca;
http://www.interchange.ubc.ca/winder

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