The Ph.D. Program in History

at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York

Non-GC Events

University of Maryland HGSA Graduate Conference 2022 “Conflict, Protest, Insurrection, Coup”

The University of Maryland has extended the deadline for submission to the Annual Graduate History Student Association Conference, “Conflict, Protest, Insurrection, Coup” to February 4th, 2022.  The conference will be held entirely online via Zoom on March 18th, 2022.

“Conflict, Protest, Insurrection, Coup”

Extended Deadline: February 4th, 2022

Events in recent years have brought into question the meaning of terms such as “protest,” “riot,” and even “insurrection.” Peaceful demonstrations have been mischaracterized as destructive riots, while some have downplayed violent insurrections as being nothing more than tranquil protests. Fundamentally, such characterizations reflect not only cultural and political bias, but also the different ways we perceive movements that advocate for change and object to injustice. These issues and more pose several considerations: What criteria and biases do we apply to our definitions of protests, riots, insurrections, and coups? What role does language play in our understandings of conflict and protest, and how does it speak to wider questions of power and hegemony? What processes have citizens used to promote institutional reform, and what avenues have activists used when unable to proceed through conventional means? We invite presentations that touch on these themes and topics across all geographic, methodological, and temporal subfields of history, as well as interdisciplinary projects that address historical issues.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to the following:

• Methods of civil disobedience and protest.
• Perceptions and portrayals of public demonstrations.
• Insurrections, coups, and rebellions.
• The intersection of gender and race in the characterization of protests.
• Protests and riots in the ancient, pre-modern, and modern world.

Conference Details

The Annual History Graduate Student Association conference provides the opportunity for graduate students to present and discuss their research with colleagues and peers, and to develop their thoughts and ideas on important topics. Presentations will be grouped into panels in order to facilitate greater discussion and interaction between scholars. Panels will consist of graduate presenters, a graduate student commentator, and a faculty chair. The conference will feature a series of morning and afternoon panels, as well as an address by a keynote speaker. No registration fee is required. Format update: Due to multiple factors, we have decided that this year’s conference will be held entirely online via Zoom.

Submission Requirements:

Please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words to umdgradhistconference@gmail.com by Friday, February 4th, 2022. If selected, participants will be asked to submit a ten-to-fifteen-page final version of their paper closer to the date of the conference. Please include a résumé or CV with your abstract submission.

Please email Dustin Cranford at dcranfor@terpmail.umd.edu or Evan Ash at erash@terpmail.umd.edu with questions. Proposal decision notifications will be emailed by Friday, February 11th, 2022.