Reminder: Proposals Due June 1 for 2014 conference on Chemistry and Global History
"CHEMICAL REACTIONS: Chemistry and Global History"
International Conference April 10-12, 2014
2014 Cain Conference, Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia
Call for Papers
Conference Focus
One of the most
important developments in the history of science and technology in recent years
has been the recognition that, far from being an essentially western history,
it can best be understood and analyzed in the broader context of global
history. This is not a call to investigate 'influence' or to compare the
'achievements' of 'the West and the Rest', but to consider how globally spread
interactions and networks of commercial and cultural exchange both depended on
and fed scientific and technological investigation and development.
Such an approach has proven extremely fruitful in the history of medicine,
natural history (botany, etc.), astronomy, cartography and geography.
Surprisingly, the history of chemistry has yet to be analytically integrated
with global history in a sustained and organized way. This conference and
subsequent edited volume are a first step in that direction.
For the purposes of this
conference, the term 'chemistry' should not be considered in a
scientifically narrow, discipline-bound way. Rather, we are interested to
include examinations of knowledge-claims and practices, wherever they were
situated or travelled, that somehow involved the de- and re-composition of
material compounds, irrespective of whether they were labeled as 'chemistry' by
contemporaries.
Topics
In order to provide a
manageable way into this huge and fascinating field, the conference will be
limited to the seventeenth - twentieth century and be organized around a small
number of topic areas:
·
Chemistry and Global Commodities – examples include porcelain, sugar, oil,
rubber (natural and synthetic) and ‘recreational drugs’.
·
Chemistry and Environment – modifying or sustaining the environment
through chemistry, whether conscious or as an unintended by-product.
Examples range from pest control to 'cradle to cradle' modes of production and
include globally connected topics such as the Green Revolutions and Bhopal.
·
Chemistry and Global Health – from the early-modern circulation of
drugs and pharmaceutical knowledge to recent struggles over patent rights and
distribution of medicines.
·
Chemistry and Industry – from the early-modern world of
porcelain manufacture, textile production and dyeing to recent issues relating
to the mining and exploitation of minerals only available in war-torn areas of
Africa, production of computers and cell phones.
·
Chemistry and Governance – the role of governments, trading
companies, (professional and amateur) scientific societies and corporations in
managing and directing the production and circulation of chemically-based
productions, methods and knowledge
·
Chemistry and Everyday Life - the introduction of new processes and
materials such as glass, cement, synthetic fibers, ersatz foods, plastics and
nano-materials. Subject areas might include topics such as architecture,
clothing and fashion, food and drink.
Running through the
entire conference, we hope, will be attention to the material exchange of
chemical techniques of all kinds across different cultures around the world,
whether carried by commodities, books, concerns about public health, or
profit-seeking entrepreneurs.
Submit a Proposal
One-page proposals for
individual presentations or round-table discussions that fall under any of
these rubrics or focus on relations between them are welcome. We hope to
include not only historians of chemistry, but also historians who more
generally investigate global commodities, the environment, global health,
industry, governance and material culture. The deadline for proposal submission
is June 1 2013. Travel support for participants, to defray the cost of
transportation and lodging will be available. The conference will be open
(without cost) to all who are interested.
Proposals should be sent
to: cberkowitz@chemheritage.org
For further information,
please contact Carin Berkowitz [CBerkowitz@chemheritage.org] or Lissa Roberts
[l.l.roberts@utwente.nl]
Scientific Committee
Lissa Roberts,
University of Twente
James Delbourgo, Rutgers
University
Fa-Ti Fan, SUNY
Binghamton
Catherine Jackson,
University of Notre Dame
Carin Berkowitz,
Chemical Heritage Foundation
The Cain Conference is
an annual conference intended to foster discussions about the intersections of
scholarly historical knowledge and practical information, discussions that have
a bearing on contemporary culture. It is supported by a generous gift
from Gordon Cain and is hosted by the Chemical Heritage Foundation, an
independent research library and center for scholars in Philadelphia, PA.
__________________________________
Carin Berkowitz, Ph.D.
Associate Director of the Beckman Center
P: +1.215.873.8289
F: +1.215.629.5289
Chemical Heritage Foundation
LIBRARY • MUSEUM • CENTER FOR SCHOLARS
315 Chestnut Street • Philadelphia, PA 19106 • U.S.A.
chemheritage.org
Carin Berkowitz, Ph.D.
Associate Director of the Beckman Center
P: +1.215.873.8289
F: +1.215.629.5289
Chemical Heritage Foundation
LIBRARY • MUSEUM • CENTER FOR SCHOLARS
315 Chestnut Street • Philadelphia, PA 19106 • U.S.A.
chemheritage.org
__________________________________