From August 21st to August 22nd 2012 the University of Cologne will host a conference on disability history. The conference – mainly funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) – will focus on some methodological innovations related to the activity of doing and writing disability history in a European context. Scholars from 11 countries will present the results, theoretical backgrounds and methodological challenges of their current research.
Up till now the research undertaken by disability historians mainly has been inspired by an Anglo-Saxon social-constructivist tradition. Given the recent critiques that were formulated with regard to some of the presuppositions taken for granted by the social model and taking into account some of the theoretical developments coming from the discipline of history, philosophy and educational sciences, all of the scheduled presentations will try to lay bare some innovative and refreshing approaches to the history of disability. The leading thread of the conference “The imperfect Historian – Disability Histories in Europe” therefore will be to seek out how disability historians can keep pace with the critical reinterpretation of the relationship between history and (disability) theory.
Registration for the conference is mandatory, costs 30,- Euros (including coffee/tea breaks and conference booklet) and should be done before Augus 15th at the latest. The venue is accessible for wheelchair users and throughout the conference a sign language interpreter will make sure the presentations are also available for deaf scholars.
Location:
University of Cologne
Philosophikum
Room 356a (3rd floor)
Albertus-Magnus-Platz
50923 Köln
Germany
Website:
http://geschdid.uni-koeln.de/conference
Contact:
Dr. Sebastian Barsch
s.barsch
uni-koeln.de