NOTICE: The “Political Arithmetick” of Empires in the Early Modern Atlantic World, 1500–1807

I received word last night about a conference on 'The “Political Arithmetick” of Empires in the Early Modern Atlantic World, 1500–1807'. It's Sponsored by the Department of History, University of Maryland, College Park, and the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture. It'll take place from March 17–18, 2012 at the University of Maryland, College Park.

I know that a number of you are interested in the legal and normative hybridity of empires:

This conference takes its title from the celebrated pamphlet of Sir William Petty published in 1690. The organizers are particularly eager to receive submissions from scholars working on subjects that Petty and his contemporaries believed formed the basis of the new concept of “political economy,” especially as these related to the Americas from the sixteenth century through the eighteenth.

Petty’s pamphlet was largely devoted to the question of how best to construct an English empire within which trade, people, and nation would flourish. His calculations involved not only economic factors but also issues of authority, hierarchy, and justice. The purpose of this conference is to examine the many components, economic as well as cultural, that cohered and/or fractured empires in the early modern Atlantic world between 1500 and 1807.

The organizers encourage papers that examine the religious, cultural, or economic components that shaped the formation of imperial structures in the early modern era. Topics such as religious conformity or the lack thereof, paper money, credit, agriculture, manufacturing, trade, piracy, and monopoly as they related to the creation and expansion of empires are appropriate. So, too, are demography, slavery, the Native American presence, and the migration of labor, whether free or indentured. Finally, the organizers welcome proposals on the ideological character of domestic and international law and the role of ideas in determining the configuration of early modern empires. These subjects may be addressed by focusing exclusively on a single empire or within a comparative context.

Proposals consisting of a maximum of 300 words must be received electronically no later than July 31, 2011. Please include a two-page c.v. that contains your current mailing and e-mail addresses and your telephone number. Materials may be submitted online at the conference Web site, http://oieahc.wm.edu/conferences/political/cfp.cfm. All submissions will be acknowledged by e-mail. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please resubmit or contact Kim Foley (kawahl@wm.edu).

CALL FOR PAPERS: Law and Culture - The Present is the Living Past (Vanuatu)

Note that the organiser of the 'Law and Culture 2011: The present is the living past' conference has informed me that late abstracts can be accepted. The conference will be hosted by the University of the South Pacific School of Law, Emalus Campus, Port Vila, Vanuatu from 29-31 August 2011.

For further information, including the abstract submission form and presentation and poster guidelines see the conference website http://www.paclii.org/law-and-culture/. Abstracts should be submitted as soon as possible via email to lawandculture2011@gmail.com.

CALL FOR PAPERS: 'Law and Culture 2011: The present is the living past'

Unfortunately, I only just discovered the following information on a very interesting conference on 'Law and Culture 2011: The present is the living past' to be hosted by the University of the South Pacific School of Law, Emalus Campus, Port Vila, Vanuatu from 29-31 August 2011. The conference follows last year's confrence on 'Law and Culture: Meaningful Legal Pluralism in the Pacific and Beyond'.

This year's call for papers and posters (now officially past) reads:

The question of how to make law operate effectively whilst remaining culturally appropriate is critical for all Pacific islands. This question arises, in large part, due to the particular colonial histories of Pacific countries. In order to appreciate how law operates in the current post-colonial environment and the current paths of development that we are following, and that shape our laws, we need to understand where our laws and systems have come from.

The issues that this conference theme give rise to are not only legal, or historical. Understanding the place and operation of laws is inherently interdisciplinary, and requires conversations across a range of disciplines. Pacific scholars from other subject areas, including anthropology, development studies, governance and political studies are encouraged to attend this conference.

• Papers and posters that explore how the historical context shapes contemporary Pacific legal systems are invited.
• Papers addressing any aspect of Pacific legal studies or post-colonial legal studies more generally are also welcomed.

People who wish to organise and chair a themed session or workshop should submit their proposals as soon as possible.

The conference organisers are committed to the development of young Pacific scholars and students and early career researchers from a range of disciplines are particularly encouraged to participate.

Abstracts are due by 12 July 2011 and should be submitted via email to lawandculture2011@gmail.com.

For further information, including the abstract submission form and presentation and poster guidelines see the conference website http://www.paclii.org/law-and-culture/