The aim of the conference is to contribute to the wider discussion in the field of labour and migration studies taking into account the ways in which transformations have influenced the changes in labour and migration regimes and practices within and outside of South-East Europe (SEE). Under transformation processes we consider systemic and broader social, political and economic changes with different outcomes. For the purpose of this conference, we consider not only transformations from socialism to capitalism, but also transformations within the variations of capitalism – and within socialist systems – including, but not limiting to, (de-)industrialisation, as well as digital and green transformation. We welcome submissions focusing on both macro and micro level analysis, including practices and lived experiences of different shapes and forms of labour and/or migration contextualised within transformation processes in SEE and beyond. The conference will pay specific attention to the following (but non-exhaustive) list of thematic areas observed within specific transformation processes:
- Labour migration regimes, practices and experiences
- (Changing) labour practices and (post-socialist) experiences
- (Labour) migration flows and strategies at macro, mezzo or micro level
- Workers and migrant workers agency
- Gendered dimensions of labour and/or migration
- Culture at the Crossroads: global, regional, mass, local, and hybrid phenomena related to migration, labour, and digital transformations
- Spaces and practices of recovery, wellbeing and normalization in times of broader social, political and economic changes: (virtual) communities, translocal families, regional friendships, and other support-networks and activities
- Migration to Southeast Europe, refugees and related policies
- Labour migration history
- European inequalities and the migration of labour
The conference invites contributions from a variety of disciplines and approaches including, but not limited to, sociology, political science, social work, journalism and communication studies, history, social anthropology and other.
Participation at the conference is free of charge. The organizers will provide participants with meals and refreshments. Limited accommodation will be offered prioritising early-career researchers without recourse to institutional funding. Travel expenses are covered by the participants themselves.
The working languages of the conference are the official languages of Republic of Srpska and English.
Instructions for registration and submission of papers
We welcome submission of either a proposal for a panel consisting of 4 papers maximum, or an abstract for an individual paper. Abstracts should not exceed 250 words, while panel proposals should contain a brief description of the panel (up to 500 words) and the entire set of abstracts proposed for the panel. After the conference, authors will be invited to submit full papers to be selected for publishing in the journal "Society and Politics".
The application for participation at the conference should include the author's full name, affiliation, author's email address, the title of the paper, a panel proposal and/or abstract, and keywords (up to 5 words), and short academic bio (up to 200 words). The abstract and keywords should also be provided in English. Applications should be sent to the official email address of the conference This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or through the official website of the conference accessible via the link https://drustvoipolitika.fpn.unibl.org.
The conference is organised as a joint collaboration of the Faculty of Political Sciences University of Banja Luka (FPN UNIBL) as the host, the University of Vienna – Research Centre for the History of Transformations (UNIVIE RECET), Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Science and Arts – Institute of Culture and Memory Studies (ZRC SAZU) and Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS) in Regensburg, in the framework of the Horizon Europe project “Enhancing Capacities for Quality and Impactful Research on Transformations, Labour and Migration in Southeast-Europe (RETLAMI-SEE)” funded by the European Commission.
Scientific Committee:
Anđela Pepić, FPN UNIBL
Dalibor Savić, FPN UNIBL
Bojana Vukojević, FPN UNIBL
Tanja Petrović, ZRC SAZU Institute of Culture and Memory Studies
Ana Hofman, ZRC SAZU Institute of Culture and Memory Studies
Goran Musić, UNIVIE RECET
Rory Archer, UNIVIE RECET
Ulf Brunnbauer, IOS Regensburg
Jacqueline Nießer, IOS Regensburg
Organizing Committee:
Anđela Pepić, FPN UNIBL
Dalibor Savić, FPN UNIBL
Bojana Vukojević, FPN UNIBL