12th Biennial Conference of the Hungarian Association for American Studies (HAAS 12) Budapest, Hungary, 25-26 May 2018

Understanding America in a Time of Change: 12th Biennial Conference of the Hungarian Association for American Studies (HAAS 12)
Budapest, Hungary, 25-26 May 2018
Deadline for proposals: 31 January 2018
Facing a variety of challenges both on the domestic and the international scene, America has witnessed significant cultural, social, economic, political, and environmental changes in the twenty-five years since the Hungarian Association for American Studies was founded. Cultural response has been overwhelming in the face of the divisions—geo-cultural, political, and social—that have become visible recently within American society. American studies at the beginning of the 21st century, more than ever, has the task to gauge the directions and trends and to respond to the changing political and cultural landscape, while still trying to assess and ascertain its place and mission within the rapidly changing academic environment.

We invite papers from all fields related to American Studies that contribute to any aspect or interpretation of our theme. The following list of topics is meant to be suggestive rather than restrictive.

  • Transnationalist constructions of America
  • Constructing American subjects in literature and culture
  • Inter-American relations, migration trends and the changing ethnic landscape
  • Images of America in Hungarian American studies
  • Utopian and dystopian iconographies in the face of change
  • Constructing vistas of America by framing culture
  • Innovations in cultural practices and identity constructions in the Digital Era
  • Constructing American national identity
  • America’s role in globalization vs. global influences on America
  • Images of America—visual and textual messages in identity politics
  • Understanding digital cultures in America
  • America through (news) media
  • Popular Culture’s way to respond and reflect on change
  • Constructing America in the Anthropocene Epoch
  • Avoiding Anthropocentrism—constructing new perspectives
  • Negotiations of ethical claims in contemporary American culture—reparation and justice
  • Understanding America through language
  • Understanding America in the classroom

Please send 250-300 word abstracts of proposed papers to: haaselte2018@gmail.com by January 31st, 2018. Participants will be notified of their acceptance by February 15th, 2018.