The Spectre of Capitalism in International Studies (Section 43)

Call for papers for the 13th Pan-European Conference on International Relations, 11–14 September 2019, Sofia, Bulgaria.

The global economic crisis of 2007–8 and its socio-economic, political and cultural aftershocks have significantly revitalised systemic analyses of capitalism in the social sciences. While these efforts have found resonance in International Studies — particularly with regards to the gendered and racialised constitution of capitalism as well as its political contradictions — a discipline-wide rethinking in relation to the question of how capitalism systemically and structurally shapes ‘the international’ has yet to take place. This is puzzling given the undeniably ‘global’ character of the capitalist mode of production and our self-styled scholarly pursuit for studying all things ‘international’.

The section aims to bring together a diverse range of scholars working in International Relations, International Political Economy and International Political Sociology, and advance novel concepts and methods to interrogate contemporary capitalism. We are particularly interested in unpacking how the discipline has ‘seen’ and continues to ‘see’ capitalism, as well as providing a platform for International Scholars to discuss whether

(I) the bodies of scholarship grouped under the banner of International Studies help us analyse contemporary capitalism;

(II) International Studies scholars are equipped with the necessary conceptual and analytical tools to examine, and even contest, capitalism and its manifold levers of exploitation at the global, local and household levels?

We welcome individual papers and panel/roundtable proposals. Proposals (with abstracts of 250 words maximum) must be submitted via the online submission system. Please indicate in your application that your proposal is submitted for Section 43. The closing date for paper, panel, and roundtable proposals is 28 February 2019.

If you have any questions regarding the section, please contact the section chairs Dr Cemal Burak Tansel (c.b.tansel@sheffield.ac.uk) and Dr Jerome Roos (j.e.roos@lse.ac.uk)

For more information, please visit the EISA 2019 website.