29TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR ISRAEL STUDIES

 

The Program Committee of the 29th Annual Conference of the Association for Israel Studies, to be held at the University of California, Los Angeles, June 24-26 2013, invites scholars conducting research on any aspect of Israel studies to submit proposals for individual papers, organized panels and roundtable discussions. Of special interest are proposals relating to the theme of the conference—“Israel in the International Arena: Scholarship, Imagery, Discourse and Public Policy.”

From its earliest days, Zionism was characterized by a tension between an impulse to integrate the Jews into the would-be community of nations on the one hand, and a counter-tendency that leaned toward a separatist approach to Jewish life—between “Kechol ha-goyim” (“a nation like all others”) and “am levadad Yishkon” (“a nation that dwells apart”), as it has often been formulated. These two poles seem to shape Israeli political discourse, and the country’s network of crisscrossing social and cultural currents, to the present day.

What impact has this duality had on Zionist and Israeli society, institutions, political and economic settings, and culture? In what ways can these be said to be a function of the country’s participation in global trends? How, on the other hand, are they unique to Israel?

In a related vein, to what extent has this tension between integration and segregation been reflected in scholarship on Israel? Has Israel scholarship situated itself—methodologically, theoretically, and thematically—in international scholarly conversation? What has it taught us about Israel’s place in the international arena—its comparability or uniqueness? To what extent has scholarship on Israel, as it has developed over the past few decades, influenced broader social and cultural currents or been influenced by them? Has scholarship had an impact on public policy and on political discourse and praxis beyond the academy?  Proposals for papers on these and other topics relating to the broader field of Israel studies are welcome, particularly such that reflect innovative methodological approaches and novel research questions.

 

Deadline for Submission of all Proposals: January 20, 2013 (deadline extended)

 

 

Individual papers and panel proposals should be submitted using the online submission form available on the AIS website. Late proposals will not be accepted. Individual paper proposals should not exceed 250 words. The committee strongly encourages scholars to submit panel proposals. Panel proposals should include information on the panel theme and on each individual paper and should not exceed 750 words. PhD students who have completed their course work are encouraged to apply and should provide the email of their advisor for approval.

All presenters will be required to register for the conference and be current AIS members. Registration is online at the AIS website (http://www.aisisraelstudies.org/).

A limited number of travel grants will be available for PhD students and PhD holders without university travel support. PhD students who wish to apply for travel grants should send a request along with a copy of their proposal and a letter from their advisor.  PhD holders should send an abstract of the proposed paper and a current CV.  All applications should be sent by e-mail to Professor Ilan Ben-Ami, AIS Treasurer, at: treasurer@aisisraelstudies.org.  Deadline of travel grant application is January 10, 2013.

Arieh Saposnik, Chair

Kobi Cohen-Hatab, Geography
Hagit Lavsky, History
Shai Ginsburg, Hebrew Literature
Michael Karayanni, Law and Legal Studies
Kobi Metzer, Economics
Yael Guilat, Visual Arts
Theodore Sasson, Demography/Social Research
Zohar Segev, Diaspora
Deborah Bernstein, Gender Studies
Mahmoud Yazbak, Middle Eastern History
Adrianna Kemp, Sociology
Oren Meyers, Communications
Rory Miller, Political Science and International Relations
Dafna Hirsch, History of Sciences

 

For questions please contact the conference coordinator, Ms. Maura Resnick: UCLA2013@aisisraelstudies.org