Hungarian Studies Association of Canada (HSAC)
Call for Papers for the 2022 Annual Conference
Transitions: Hungary and Hungarians at Crossroads
The Hungarian Studies Association of Canada invites proposals for individual papers, posters, roundtable discussions, workshops, complete panels, and other innovative presentations and sessions for our annual conference to be held virtually in conjunction with the Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences from Saturday, May 14 to Monday, May 16, 2022. As an association of scholars and teachers interested in Hungarian studies, we have chosen to explore an aspect of Hungarian culture and history that resonates with the Congress theme (see below).
The term “transitions” can be understood in myriad ways, including what the Federation is emphasizing this year: transitions with respect to equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization. This is certainly one of the themes that we encourage proposals on: Which groups in Hungarian society have transitioned from being “included” in the “mainstream” to being “excluded” from it (and vice-versa)? How did these processes unfold? Topics could cover the emancipation of Hungarian Jewry in the 19th century; the process of their exclusion starting in the 1920s; the transition from inclusion to deportation of Hungarian Germans (Ungarndeutsche); the slow and fitful transition of Roma from almost total exclusion to a degree of inclusion; a similarly rocky process of inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in Hungary since the legalization of homosexuality in the early 1960s to the opening of doors after entry into the EU and more recent, negative developments; the extent to which Hungarian immigrants to Canada and other “settler” societies were excluded after their arrival, and then their transition to inclusion; the role Hungarian settlers played in the colonization of Canada, etc.
The word “transition,” however, also resonates within the Hungarian context with key moments in the history of Hungary and Hungarians: the transition from powerful Medieval Kingdom to subjection by the Ottoman Empire during the early 16th century; the transition to full vassal-state status with regard to Austria in the late 17th century and during the 18th century; the transition from that condition to the Reform Era of the early-to-mid 19th century; the transition to internal independence after 1867; the transition from “colonized” to “colonizer” during that same era; the transition from historical Hungary to “Trianon Hungary” after the First World War; the transition from majority to minority status for Hungarians caught up in this Treaty; the transition to greater collaboration with Germany and eventual occupation by it in 1944; the transition to the Soviet sphere after 1945; the transition wrought by 1956; the transition after 1989; the transition brought on by EU membership, and the transition from full democracy to a hybrid democracy (and “illiberalism”) over the past decade. The possibilities are rich and diverse, and we welcome any and all ideas along this line of thinking.
The term “transition” can be addressed in yet more ways, and we welcome other interpretations of the conference theme. Although we strongly encourage proposals that speak to this theme, we will also consider proposals on any topic related to Hungary and Hungarian Studies. The Hungarian Studies Association of Canada also supports and encourages both creative and critical scholarly engagement within and across disciplines.
We especially encourage proposals from graduate students. In addition to offering modest funding to offset the costs of participation in the conference, HSAC will choose one graduate student presenter to receive Congress’s Graduate Merit Award. The award winner will be recognized publicly by Congress, and will receive a $500 award.
Proposals should include a maximum 300-word abstract and a brief 100-word bio that can be used to introduce the speaker. Since both the abstract and the bio will be published online, they should be prepared in Word format using Times New Roman, 12-point font. Abstracts should be sent electronically both to the Chair of the Program Committee, Oliver Botar (oliver.botar@umanitoba.ca), and to the Vice-President of HSAC, Virginia L. Lewis (Ginny.Lewis@northern.edu). Proposals are preferred in English or French but will also be accepted in Hungarian if an English language abstract is also provided.
Presentations at the conference are no longer than 20 minutes with an additional 5-10 minutes for discussion. The deadline for submission is January 15, 2022. We will notify presenters of the Committee’s decisions no later than February 1, 2022.
The HSAC Conference Program Committee for 2021 is chaired by Oliver Botar of the University of Manitoba. The other members are: Virginia L. Lewis (Ginny.Lewis@northern.edu) and Christopher Adam (christopherpeteradam@gmail.com)
Congress 2022 Theme
“Congress 2022 comes at an extraordinary time, as we hope to finally emerge from a global pandemic that has stolen millions of lives and disrupted the world as we knew it. With the theme of Transitions, our goal is to inspire ideas, dialogue, and action. At Congress 2022, we invite members of the social sciences and humanities community to re-consider the world we inhabit, so that together we can build a future that is more diverse, sustainable, democratic, and just. Congress 2022 will feature a thought-provoking mix of panels, presentations, speakers, and workshops addressing issues of social and racial injustice and other pressing challenges for Canada and the world. The Congress program will enable participants to explore and strengthen their commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization (EDID), and build collaborative strategies to entrench these principles in our disciplines, institutions, associations, and in Congress itself.