Punjab Research Group

HISTORIES OF HOME SUBJECT SPECIALIST NETWORK (SSN) SECOND ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Friday 21 May 2010, British Library, London

 CALL FOR PAPERS

 The Histories of Home Subject Specialist Network (SSN) invites papers for its second annual conference, to be held in London at the British Library on Friday 21 May 2010. The conference will examine migrants’ homes across the globe from early civilisations to the present. We are particularly interested in the material aspects of setting up home in another country, such as room layouts, furnishings and other possessions and how these are adapted, integrated or negotiated between host nation and place of origin. We are also keen to explore the meanings associated with the material culture of transnational homes. What is home? Where is home? Where and when do we “feel at home”? What is the relationship between home(s) and identity formation? We encourage an interdisciplinary perspective and invite proposals for 25-minute papers which consider the complex and changing meanings and experiences of “home” and home-making practices across multiple localities.

 Themes for papers might include:

 – home, homeland and displacement

– transplanted or adapted home interiors

– colonial and postcolonial homes

– transnational family and friendship networks

– eating practices, culinary journeys, fusion food

– the meaning of “home” for different generations living in diaspora

– temporary, permanent and unintentionally permanent settlement

– transnational migrants living and working across several countries and the role of web-based technologies in maintaining family relationships

– migrants and domestic work

– collective memories of “home”

– imaginary and invented homes: writing diaspora and cinematic representations

– documenting, collecting and exhibiting the transnational home

 Timeline

Deadline for submission of proposals: 8 January 2010

Notification of acceptance: 1 February 2010

Submission of titles for papers: 12 April 2010

 Proposals

Proposals, including title, abstract (of 200-300 words) and a brief biographical statement (c.100 words) are to be submitted by 8 January 2010 to: Krisztina Lackoi, SSN Co-ordinator, klackoi@geffrye-museum.org.uk