“Understanding Late Soviet Period in the 21st Century: Reflections on History, Ecology, Economics and Art”

“Understanding Late Soviet Period in the 21st Century: Reflections on History, Ecology, Economics and Art”

Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy with research cluster “Disintegration of Communism and Post-Communist Transformations“, Vytautas Magnus University

December 1-2, 2011
The aim of this conference is to discuss economic, sociological, cultural and political turning-points in the Central and Eastern Europe at the end of the 20^th century. Today, these transformations can be evaluated from transgenerational perspective by people who have lived experience of significant social and political changes and people who know that period only from the textbooks which might be the source of varying or even conflicting approaches.
The goal of the conference is to encourage a dialogue between scholars from different countries and different generations, to re-evaluate early post Soviet transformations in Central and Eastern Europe taking into account current social and political developments. Conference organizers welcome original insights about the period which was crucial in shaping liberal democracies and market economies in Central and Eastern Europe.

The conference addresses the following topics:

• Transition from the planned to market economy: drama and tensions;
• The concept of citizenship after 1990: between passion and irony;
• Old and new collectivism: community crisis passed or obtained?
• Nationalism: game, instrument, power or inertia?
• Democratization of public sphere: between engagement and anomie;
• New challenges for art and artists: diversity articulation and fear of management;
• Development of environmental consciousness and risk construction.

A peer reviewed publication of selected papers is planned subsequent to the conference.
Deadline for sending an abstract (up to 300 words) is November 14.
Please send your abstract and a list of hardware needed for the paper presentation by email to transformations@pmdf.vdu.lt. Amount of time allocated to one paper is 15 minutes.
For further questions, please contact transformations@pmdf.vdu.lt.
Committee Chair
Assoc. Prof. Rasa Baločkaitė
Mobile phone:+370 610 64452
Address:Department of Social and Political Theory, Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy, Vytautas Magnus University, Gedimino g. 44-101, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Committee
Prof. Gintautas Mažeikis
dr. Jurga Jonutytė
Mindaugas Jančis
Ignas Kalpokas
Pijus Krūminas