Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 11:43:41 -0500
From: Ric Brown <brbgc-AT-ix.netcom.com>
Subject: CFP: ASA Roundtable Session on The History of Science


Greetings,

I am organizing roundtable sessions for the Marxist Section of the
American Sociological Association Meeting, scheduled for August 200 in
Washington, D.C.  Currently, I have a table in formation on Marxist
Perspectives on the History of Science.  I have a couple of spots
remaining on the panel and would like to invite anyone interested to
send proposals and/or abstracts to me by January 25, 2000.  I am
attaching to this a copy of the original call for papers, which includes
more detailed information regarding the sessions, other possible topics,
and the meeting in general.

In Solidarity,
Ric Brown
-- 
_________________________________________________

Ric Brown             
Assistant Professor of Cultural Studies
Department of Social Science 
Dekalb Hall, 3rd fl.
Pratt Institute
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11205
_________________________________________________

Email: brbgc-AT-ix.netcom.com  
URL:   http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7364
Phone: 1.718.636.3600 ext.2709
Fax:   1.718.636.3573
_________________________________________________


Please forward this to other relevant lists
 
The Section on Marxist Sociology would like to encourage any interested
social scientists, including especially graduate students,
to submit proposals and/or papers for roundtable sessions at the ASA
convention in Washington, D.C. in August of 2000.  The
SMxS believes that Marxism should be approached in a creative, rather
than dogmatic way, and sees aspects of Marxist
perspectives as intersecting with a wide range of topics in social
science. 
 
A roundtable proposal means that the person (s) making the proposal
would like to make a presentation (data analysis,
preliminary findings, ideas, theoretical discussion, proposals for
research, debate) on a particular topic while also encouraging
others of similar interest to make presentations and participate in the
discussion. Roundtable organizers can also solicit other
papers to be a part of their roundtable session.
 
 
A paper proposal for a roundtable is more suitable for someone who has a
presentation (data analysis, preliminary findings,
ideas, theoretical discussion, proposals for research, etc.) but who
would rather have that paper incorporated into an existing
roundtable, preferably of similar topics, rather than having the
roundtable organized around their topic.
 
Typically, a roundtable session lasts about an hour. I've seen
roundtable sessions range in size from three to twenty five
participants. They are generally very useful because they provide an
opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with others who
have similar interests.  Graduate students often find that making a
presentation at a roundtable session is less intimidating than at
a regular session. But the roundtable session is a legitimate ASA
session, and grad students can find the experience of making a
presentation at the ASA a valuable activity. Furthermore, the SMxS will
probably be able to help subsidize housing for some
graduate students during the conference by reserving a suite as has been
done in years past. Washington is within a day's drive
from many universities, and this is an especially good year to attend
because there will doubtless be debate and controversy as
well as the opportunity to meet and interact with others of similar
interests. 
 
 
This year, the co-organizers for the roundtable sessions are 
 
Ric Brown brbgc-AT-ix.netcom.com and Alan Spector spectors-AT-netnitco.net
 
The division of labor we have worked out is that Ric will solicit,
assemble, and organize those topics that deal with culture and
ideology including but not limited to such topics as:
 
Marxist Perspectives on:
Race and the Production of Sociological Knowledge
Feminism Today
*Marx and Cultural Studies
Authority and Fascism
Postmodernity
Popular Culture
The Critique of Culture
*Music, Performance, Cinema
The Production of Space and the Everyday
New Forms of Control
The Domination of Nature
*Globalization after the Seattle WTO Meeting
*Welfare Reform and the new Work Ethic
*Communism Ten Years After its Death
*Critical Theory and the Frankfurt School 
History of Marxism
Radical Critiques of Marxism
Marx and Marxism in North American Sociology
*Remarks on "Recent" Works by
Antonio Negri, Stuart Hall, Dorthy E. Smith, Henri Lefebvre, J. 
Habermas EO Wright, Stanley Aronowitz, Arato and Cohen, Rosemary 
Hennessy, etc.
 
--------------------------
 
Alan  will solicit, organize, assemble roundtables on just
about everything else, including, but not limited to such
general topics as:
 
Globalism or Imperialism--New World Alignments;
Ethnic War and Nationalism;
Right Wing Extremism and Political-Economic Crisis; 
The Prospects for Systemic Fascism
The Future of Health Care under Capitalism;
"War against Drugs or War against Working Class Youth?"
The Rapid Growth of Incarceration in the U.S.
The Resurgence of Coerced Labor (Prison, Welfare, etc.)
Issues in Political Economy
Marxist Approaches to Racism;
Biology, Ideology and Social Theory;
Assessing a Century of Marxism; 
Who Should Be the Working Class' "Person of the Century?"
Grassroots Organizing and the Marxist Project and any other topic,
whether more data oriented or theory oriented.
 
The point of listing all those topics is not to limit it, but to
indicate how open the range of topics is. As anyone can see, some of
them overlap. Coherent roundtables will be put together from the
submissions we get.  What we need are proposals, rather than
completedly polished papers. Please get them together, as either
Roundtable topics or single papers, and submit them to one or
both of us at the e-mails listed above.  The roundtable session and the
meeting with come right before are one of the few times at
the conference, or for that matter, during the year, when we can all get
together in one room and exchange ideas (as well as
meet the faces behind the e-mails!) These are some of the best events of
the whole ASA convention. It is important for the
cohesion and development of the SMxS as well as for the maintenance of a
radical-critical voice within sociology. 
 
So again, everyone, including grad students, is invited to participate.
But we have a close deadline and need to put this all
together soon. So please try to respond by January 25th if possible.
--