The York Centre for International and Security Studies (YCISS) has put out a call for papers that will look at the state of security post-9/11 for its 13th annual conference, Feb. 2-3, 2006, at York’s Keele campus.
Entitled “Exceptional Measures for Exceptional Times: The State of Security Post 9/11”, the conference will consider the notion that events of 9/11 have altered the international security environment, demanding exceptional measures that tighten borders, enable indefinite detention, and justify preventive warfare.
These developments raise questions about the appropriate balance between security, freedom and democracy. Some scholars and activists argue that recent measures have gone too far, and that the costs to freedom and democracy are too high. Others argue that security measures are needed to protect this very freedom. This conference invites papers that investigate the policy perspectives and discursive frames that inform how we think about the relationship between security and freedom in the post-9/11 era.
Reflecting a desire for open, diverse and vibrant exchange, organizers strongly encourage papers that draw on a broad range of theoretical commitments including critical theory, post-structuralism, feminism(s), post-colonialism, anti-racism, queer theory, Marxism, Gramscian, realism, liberalism and Green theory. Interdisciplinary perspectives and presentations grounded outside of international relations are strongly encouraged.
Potential topic areas include:
- Redefinitions of geopolitical space, borders and sovereignty
- Biopolitics
- Political economy of conflict and war
- The politics of xenophobia – racial targeting, indefinite detention, deportation and expulsion
- Representations of the post-9/11 era
- Weapons proliferation
- Canadian foreign and defence policy and Canada’s International Policy Review
- Defence and the ‘homeland’
- Anti-terrorism and immigration law
- Imperialism, empire and foreign policy
- Governance and ‘others’
- Intervention – humanitarian or otherwise
- Constructions of foreignness, hetero-normativity, masculinity and femininity
- New technologies and targets of security
- Ethics and responsibility
Abstracts of 250 words should be sent to Tina Managhan and Colleen Bell by 5pm Friday, Oct. 14.
For more information, visit the YCISS conference Web page.