DEADLINE EXTENDED: Call for Papers
Exploring Ice and Snow in the Cold War
27-29 January 2011
Munich, Germany
Extended Submission Deadline: Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Applications and abstracts should be submitted to:
Christian Kehrt
Email: kehrt [at] hsu-hh.de
For further information on organizational issues, please contact:
Franziska Torma
Email: franziska.torma [at] carsoncenter.lmu.de
Organizers announce that the submission deadline for the "Exploring Ice
and Snow in the Cold War" workshop has been extended to Wednesday, 15
September 2010. The workshop will be convened at the Deutsche Museum in
Munich, Germany from 27-29 January 2011. The workshop is supported by
the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society.
The scientific exploration of extreme climatic conditions and hostile
environments flourished during the Cold War. In the course of these
years of confrontation between East and West, research on 'the cold'
served ambivalent purposes. On the one hand, increasing knowledge about
extreme climatic conditions seemed to guarantee political power and
access to future resources. One the other hand, the very nature of the
earth's surface and its characteristics challenged dichotomous
ideologies of 'East' and 'West'. Events like the International
Geophysical Year (1957-1958) structured global efforts to investigate
the world as a whole. Spatial images of the 'blue planet' can be seen to
be a result of the environmental knowledge gained through earth
sciences. As the earth's climate influenced many aspects of human life,
culture, and politics, the scientific perception of ice and snow needed
to be investigated from different perspectives. Scientific disciplines
such as meteorology, geophysics, glaciology, and oceanography were part
of the exploration of ice and snow.
This workshop is interested in new research projects at the interface of
environmental history, military history, and the history of science and
technology to contribute to the discussion on the scientific perception
and constitution of nature in the Cold War.
Applications for any of the following research areas, as well as
proposals that deal with the workshop's topic from alternative
perspectives, are welcome:
Sites of Knowledge
How did military strategy and politics influence concrete research
projects and how did this knowledge flow back into society? Are there
typical Cold War sciences dealing with ice and snow and which places,
sites, or laboratories were typical for these endeavors? Which
infrastructures were required to explore ice and snow and what role did
technology play in the construction of artificial environments?Knowledge and the Environment--Environmental Knowledge
Did the Cold War foster or inhibit knowledge about the fragility of
nature, and which scientific disciplines were involved in this process?
When, where, and how were issues of pollution addressed? Did knowledge
motivated by military and strategic interests also play a part in
environmental contexts?Metaphors, Visions, and Narrations
Epistemologically, ice and snow are objects that are shaped through
different scientific perspectives and cultural narratives. Which
metaphors, visions, and narratives are associated with the scientific
exploration of extreme climatic conditions during the Cold War?
Travel and accommodation costs will be met by the organizers.
Applications must be written in English. Abstracts (500 words) and a
short curriculum vitae should be submitted by email no later than
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 to:
Christian Kehrt
Email: kehrt [at] hsu-hh.de
For further information on organizational issues, please contact:
Franziska Torma
Email: franziska.torma [at] carsoncenter.lmu.de