CALL FOR PROPOSALS
UNDERSTANDING SUSTAINABILITY: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE HUMANITIES
Inaugural National Conference on Sustainability and the Humanities
Keynote Speaker: Carolyn Merchant
May 14-16, 2009
Portland State University
Portland, Oregon
We hear talk of "sustainability" everywhere-but what does the word
mean? We generally think of sustainability in an environmental
context, or sometimes in economic terms. But clean air and water, a
livable climate, and a healthy standard of living are not the only
endangered elements in our social order that we want to "sustain."
The broader list includes: community, psychological health,
meaningful work, intellectual openness, popular empowerment, a sense
of heritage and history, cultural diversity, art and music. These
things are often interrelated. Poor economic policy inevitably
damages land use, for example, and energy-efficient buildings only go
so far in a war zone. Sometimes sustainable goals come into conflict,
as when green redevelopment inadvertently jeopardizes historical
preservation or catalyzes cultural, racial, or social conflict.
The humanities have traditionally provided a forum in which
philosophy, history, literary studies, and adjacent disciplines have
looked to the imagination, rational inquiry, cross-cultural
conversation, and representations of the past to evaluate and
critique social values, norms, and goals. Intellectual traditions of
the humanities allow us to scrutinize the meanings of key terms often
taken for granted in sustainability discussions, such as the
environment, the economy, nature, culture, preservation, and
progress. Understanding Sustainability: Perspectives from the
Humanities is an inaugural national conference seeking to promote
critical reflection on the cultures, histories, values, and
imaginations at stake in "sustainability."
The format of the conference seeks to encourage innovative dialogues
between diverse groups that are not always in conversation:
. Humanities scholars working in fields such as ecocriticism, green
cultural studies, environmental ethics, philosophy of science, and
environmental history,
. Local designers, city planners, and social service providers who
are building Portland's reputation as a leader in sustainability, and
. Artists and activists shaping ideas of green ethics and aesthetics.
We welcome proposals in a range of formats - not just formal 15-20
minute papers or complete panels, but also workshop presentations,
media screenings, performances, interviews, etc.
Please send 250-word proposals by March 1, 2009 to:
Publichumanities@pdx.edu.
Please write "Understanding Sustainability" in the subject line.
