We are specifically interested in comparative studies of societies that saw practices of citizenship changing since early 1990s as a result of border changes (including territorial adjustment and dissolution of socialist federations), population dynamics (both demographic, as a result of in and out migration, and resettlement after warfare) and amendments to their citizenship regimes (issuing passports to an ethnic kin folk and provisions for extraterritorial citizenship).


The conference calls on participants to reflect on the impact such structural factors have had on comparative developments in practices of citizenship across postcommunist region. Departing from the discussion on the concept of citizenship (e.g. T.H. Marshal, W. Kymlicka), its contemporary relevance (e.g. Y. Soysal, D. Miller) and its application in Central and Eastern Europe during democratic transition (e.g. R. Brubaker, M.M. Howard), we are particularly interested in contrastive analyses of continuities and changes in practices (political participation, civic education, community activities) related to formal criteria defining citizenry (citizenship status, passport).


Our focus on practices of citizenship opens the door to consideration of the role civic education plays across the region in framing citizenries during and after democratic transition. Papers reflecting on the role of formal and informal education, cooperation between individuals through social, political and cultural networks are particularly welcome. We are also interested in ways the extant social, political and cultural practices are translated into individual and group activities as practices of active citizenship. Papers relating to these issues might reflect on policies of education and policy initiatives emphasising actions of civil society. All of the above topics could reflect upon domestic, regional and European dynamics of citizen empowerment to make sense of singular initiatives, local practices and case by case interpretations of personal engagement as citizens.


Selection of key issues to be discussed:


- Conceptual and theoretical changes of focus in understanding the post-communist citizenship

- Institutional/legal developments of citizenship in the post-communist countries with a focus on controversies

- The role of transformation processes for the citizenship practices in those countries

- Practices of citizenship and social coherence in the countries in question

- Citizenship and civic education (the role of the education system vis-à-vis citizenship)

- Post-communist citizenship and nationalism (Is there a ‘crisis of the hyphen’ in post-communist countries?)

- Power and citizenship in the post-communist countries (the role ofinequality and class stratification)

- The impact of external actors such as the Russian Federation, the U.S. or the EU on the citizenship practices in post-communist countries


Please submit your paper proposal to the organisers, via http://www.conferencepro.eu/citizenship
 


If you have any additional queries, please get in touch with us:
Prof. Ireneusz Pawel Karolewski, Willy Brandt Center for German and European Studies, University of Wroclaw & University of Potsdam (karolewski@wbz.uni.wroc.pl) Dr Timofey Agarin, Queen’s University Belfast (t.agarin@qub.ac.uk )

Timeline:
Abstract submission: by September 30 2012
Authors invited to attend the conference will be notified by October 15 2012 First draft submission: by January 31 2013 Conference in Wroclaw, February 22-23 2013 Final draft submission, March 31 2013

Conference will take place in Wroclaw in February 2013. Conference papers will be submitted to The Journal of Social Science Education and published in a contracted special issue “Post-Communist Citizenship“ in 2013. The special issue will include theoretical/conceptual articles, empirical research articles engaging comparative analyses of selected countries. Here, one of the main points of interest is the role offormal civic education (schools and the universities) vis-à-vis the citizenship practices outside formal settling (NGOs, civil societygroups, transnational activist networks). A pool of selected papers will be additionally published as an edited book with the leading academic publisher in 2014. Details will be communicated to the selected participants only.