From: SRATH <SRATH-AT-pilot.lsus.edu>
Subject: Call for Papers "Rethinking Modernity"  Jaipur (India) December 1
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 10:22:16 -0600 



Forum on Contemporary Theory
Sixth International Convention
14-17 December  2003, Jaipur (INDIA)

CALL FOR PAPERS

Theme: "Rethinking Modernity"

The sixth international convention of the Forum on Contemporary Theory of
the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda will be held during 14--17
December 2003 in Jaipur, India.  It is co-sponsored by the Department of
English, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, and the India Studies and American
Studies Programs of Louisiana State University in Shreveport, USA.
The theme of the convention, "Rethinking Modernity," continues the dialogue
on identity from the 2002 Shillong Convention.  The 2002 Convention focused
on the problematic questions of how local and global identities are
constructed as both collaborative and contestatory modes of filiation, and
opened up a debate on identity formation/construction.  

The 2003 Convention takes up the question of identity in relation to the
episteme of modernity as an identifying marker of the West encompassing the
whole of the twentieth century, which is often called the Modern Century.
>From the perspective of the beginning of the new century and the end of the
old, it is appropriate to look back on the events in the last century and
their discursive articulations and to examine their significance in terms of
continuities or ruptures.  The Convention will reflect upon the whole range
of ideas and issues as they interacted with each other throughout the
twentieth century, finally leaving their imprint on the human consciousness
in a significant way. But in order to understand the nature of these forces
one needs to go back to their roots in the past.  Modernity as a grand
project of the West has appeared in its many guises including scientific and
technological rationality, colonial reason, liberal democracy and rule of
law, universal education, and systems of global communication etc.  The
various aspects of the notion of modernity, which were operating
sporadically for a long time, came cumulatively to their spectacular
synthesis and refinement in the first decade of the twentieth century in the
aesthetic movement called Modernism, which could be termed as both the
logical culmination as well as the exhaustion of a self-conscious attitude
for a distinctive mark in the global set-up.  It is therefore difficult to
state whether Modernism is dead and has its substitution or continues as a
resilient movement accommodating within its fold what it seems to fear,
thereby disallowing forms of alterity from posing a threat to its power. The
three-day conference will address all these issues and their implications
for the countries, which have not yet become "modern" in the Western sense.
Papers, mostly on conceptual nature, supported by textual illustrations are
welcome. Mere analysis of literary texts without any broad conceptual
framework will not be entertained.

In keeping with the earlier convention, a special panel at the Convention
will focus on a literary text written in a regional Indian language.  This
year's choice for the panel is the Hindi novella, Suraj ka Saatwan Ghoda by
Dharam Vir Bharti, translated into English by Ajneya (New Delhi: Sahitya
Akademi). It employs postmodernist techniques and in many ways critiques
Modernism.

Submission deadline: 500-word abstracts or proposals are due by August 10,
2003.  
Complete papers should be limited to 12 pages (20 minutes reading time).  A
longer version of the paper may be submitted for possible publication in the
Journal of Contemporary Thought, brought out by the Forum. The completed
paper should reach the Convenor of the Forum by October 1.

Registration deadline:    September 5, 2003
1.	Participant from India				      Rs. 2000.00
2.	Overseas Participants (SAARC countries)		US$100.00
3.	Overseas Participants (Non-SAARC countries)	US$150.00
4.	Local Participants (no hotel accommodation)	Rs. 700.00
The registration fee includes room and board for 4 days, the cost of the
conference material, 
and other expenses for conference facilities.  The fee must be paid through
a bank draft drawn in favor of Forum on Contemporary Theory on a Bank in
Baroda.  Overseas participants may send their checks to Dr. Sura P Rath at
Department of English, LSUS, One University Place, Shreveport, LA 71115,
USA.  For the sightseeing tour on December 14 the participants will have to
pay an extra amount to be decided by the local hosts.

Jaipur is a beautiful city, the capital of the state of Rajasthan.  It is
called "Pink City" for the color of its old buildings.  It has majestic
palaces, forts and gardens, and is part of what is called the Golden
Triangle comprising Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.  It is connected by railroad and
air to all the major cities of the country, and a super highway from Delhi.

For further information, please contact:

Prafulla C. Kar, Anand P. Mavalankar		Professor Santosh Gupta
Convenors, Forum on Contemporary Theory	Head, Department of English
14 Pitambar				            University of Rajasthan,
Old Padra Road, Baroda 390 020		Jaipur
Tel: (0265) 2338067				Tel: (0141) 2650654
Email: pck-AT-satyam.net.in			Email: santoshg26-AT-yahoo.com

========================================================================Sura P. Rath
Professor of English and
Director, India Studies program
LSU-Shreveport
One University Place
Shreveport, LA 71115
Ph: 318.797.5296   fax: 318.797.5290




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