by Daniela Hofmann (Daniela.Hofmann@uib.no)
How does change happen? What role do human relationships and decisions play? Are societal changes only generated by external and uncontrollable large-scale events that predict certain types of inevitable trajectories, or do they on the contrary result from small-scale decisions and interactions between multiple and different human and non-human actors?
Archaeological research group “Humans and materiality” calls for papers from scholars of all theoretical persuasions (colleagues from archaeology, social science, history, historical ecology and others) and is happy to offer a platform to discuss these questions together in Bergen!
The conference will have four thematic sessions:
Identifying the nature and influencing factors of rapid change (climatic events, migrations, demographic collapse etc), the response from individuals or societies and the resulting impact
- Resilience and adaptation
Strategies of gradual adaptation, sometimes in spite of considerable social or environmental challenges, and the circumstances under which balanced relations between people and with the environment are achieved
- Trajectories to/from inequality
Defining factors contributing to (un)equal social relations and the role of worldviews, social and ritual traditions and technological innovations in altering power balances. Is a decrease in hierarchical relations always a “collapse” and is it possible to write narratives of resistance?
Bringing together multiple scales of social action by looking at same processes from micro or macro perspectives. What can big data models gain from site or regional narratives (and vice versa)? And how can complex multi-scalar models best be modelled and presented?
Confirmed keynote speakers:
- Dr. Mads Dengsø Jessen, The National Museum of Denmark.
• Prof. Mike Parker Pearson, University College London, UK
- Prof. Neil Price, University of Uppsala, Sweden
- Prof. Leonardo Garcia Sanjuan, University of Seville, Spain
- Prof. Liv Nilsson Stutz, Linnaeus University, Sweden
- Ass. Prof. Kristina Sessa, Ohio State University, USA
We welcome proposals for papers of 15-20 minutes in length engaged with the session themes addressing different modalities of change.
Proposals should not exceed 200 words and are to be sent to: infoarchaeologyconference@uib.no no later than 18th October 2021. They should contain the following information: name, institutional affiliation (if any), a clear indication of which session you would like to speak in, and your Email.
This conference is generously sponsored by the Meltzer Research Fund and takes place in collaboration with Bymuseet i Bergen.
For more information:
https://www.uib.no/en/rg/materiality/145610/human-agency-and-global-challenges-re-centering-social-change-archaeology
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