CFP: National societal actors in a multilevel environment – 12th HEIRS Conference – Louvain-la-Neuve

Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR), Jean
Monnet History of European Integration Research Society (HEIRS), Centre
of Excellence for the Study of Transnational Europe at the University of
Portsmouth, Centre d’étude d’histoire de l’Europe contemporaine and the
Institute of European Studies at the Université catholique de Louvain
21.04.2016-22.04.2016, Louvain-la-Neuve, Université catholique de
Louvain
Deadline: 23.08.2015

Processes of globalization have given birth to new (or renewed) fields
of research in the social sciences. Numerous attempts have been made to
develop transnational or global studies and history. It has been argued
that history has to be written within a new framework that transcends
national boundaries and takes into consideration the interconnectedness
of human societies (Knudsen and Gram Skoldager; 2014: 146). Some authors
have suggested a need to overcome an excessive focus on the state as the
“primary unit of historical inquest” (Robin, 2009: 486). While
recognizing the necessity to go beyond national histories for social
science and historical analysis, however, the state and national actors
are not necessarily weakened. We take the epistemological stance that
there is no “necessary trade-off in power between national governmental
and supranational institutional actors” (Kaiser and Meyer; 2013:1).

Societal actors such as trade unions, employers’ associations, NGOS and
political parties (Kaiser and Meyer; 2013: 5) are often constituted
within a national context, where they evolve and from which they derive
their resources and legitimacy. But while remaining firmly anchored in a
particular country, these actors are also confronted with an evolving
multilevel environment. Whilst more recent examples have undoubtedly
been shaped by forces of globalization, it should be noted that the
multilevel environment is not necessarily synonymous with globalization
and naturally predates its emergence. This conference focuses on the way
in which national societal actors cope with such an environment that
offers them several possible tiers of action: the national, European and
global as well as transnational forms of cooperation. Papers for this
conference can discuss any (preferably European) national societal actor
in national, comparative or transnational (cooperation) perspective, and
any cause they might have been engaged in from EC legislation to the UN
or other multilateral forum, from a contemporary or historical
perspective. Papers can discuss many different questions: e.g. women’s
rights (including equal pay), the control of multinationals, cooperation
between national groups at the supranational level, global trade
negotiations, environmental issues, problems arising from the delegation
of power from a principal (the national actor) to an agent (the
supranational actor), or changing dynamics between labour, capital and
the state. We equally welcome papers with an empirical or theoretical
focus.

PhD students and early postdoctoral researchers are invited to submit an
abstract of no more than 300 words and a short CV by 23 August 2015 to
both Quentin Jouan at quentin.jouan@uclouvain.be and Andrew Waterman at
andrew.waterman@port.ac.uk. There will be no conference fee. Depending
on funding obtained we may be able to partially cover travel and
accommodation costs of participants in need of financial support.

The History of European Integration Research Society (HEIRS) is a
postgraduate student network. HEIRS strives to foster collaboration and
interaction among postgraduate researchers across Europe with an
interest in European integration history. This conference will bring
together PhD students and academics from various disciplines to discuss
their work in a number of panels. In addition, there will be keynote
lectures and speakers will be available for in-depth discussions. The
conference is supported by the Centre for European and International
Studies Research (CEISR) and the associated Jean Monnet Centre of
Excellence for the Study of Transnational Europe at the University of
Portsmouth as well as the Centre d’étude d’histoire de l’Europe
contemporaine (CEHEC) and the Institute of European Studies at the
Université catholique de Louvain.