Reminder: CFP--Global History and History of Chemistry Conference in Philadelphia, Abstracts due June 1
This is a last reminder that abstracts are due by June 1.
"CHEMICAL REACTIONS: Chemistry and Global
History"
International Conference April 10-12, 2014 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<mailto: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
__________________________________
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<http://www.chemheritage.org/>