The social and cultural impact of War from ancient times to the present day
March 29th-31st 2012 at the University of Calgary, Canada
The study of warfare is often restricted to the sphere of military history and rarely allowed to transcend the artificial boundaries of historical study, namely those limited by geography and periodization. Throughout the ages war has had the greatest impact, not on the political elite who declare wars but on those who fight and die and their families and friends. This conference aims to address the impact of war on the societies, cultures and individuals.
Subtopics of particular interest are:
Women in war; the social stigma of retreat or cowardice; war and agriculture; the impact of scorched earth policy on populations; the depopulation of villages; war’s effect on birth or marriage rates because of the loss of male citizens; prisoners of war; camp-followers and non-military personnel; displacement of populations; arms production; social security systems for war widows and orphans; the effect of training on a soldier’s mindset and actions (before, during and after combat); the social position of soldiers; peacetime relations between soldiers and civilians; wartime relations between civilians and occupying armies.
The conference is aimed equally at postgraduate students, researchers in the early stages of their careers and established academics. There are no specific geographical or temporal parameters regarding the subject matter of papers, and scholars of medieval and modern warfare are encouraged to submit proposals. We would also encourage the proposal of panels of three papers.
Proposals/abstracts should be no longer than 250 words and should be sent to: Graham Wrightson (gcwright@ucalgary.ca) or Waldemar Heckel (heckelw@ucalgary.ca).
The deadline for submission of proposals is February 15th, 2012.