Social Science Research Council

NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 4-6, 2008

The Eurasia Program of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) invites proposals for a dissertation development workshop focusing on issues of violence in Eurasia. Graduate students at any stage of their dissertation process (from proposal to write-up) and from any disciplinary or interdisciplinary program in the humanities or social sciences are eligible to apply. We particularly encourage applicants who propose fresh theoretical perspectives and methodologies, and whose work speaks to a wide scholarly audience.

Tsarist-era pogroms, the brutalities of the Stalinist period, the fame of the Russian mafia, contemporary human rights abuses in Central Asia, and ongoing conflicts across the Caucasus suggest only some of the best known concerns of the past 100 years. What kind of norms or values have governed the use of violence in the territory once covered by the Russian empire and the Soviet Union, now by the Russian Federation and other successor states?  To what extent have scholars focused appropriately, or at times excessively, on these most sensational aspects of former Soviet space? What have been the responses from individuals, groups, and states from within and outside the region to violence and repression, or to ongoing scholarly and popular renderings of themselves as violent? Does the region deserve such reputation relative to other world areas?

These and related questions will shape the discussions of the Eurasia Program dissertation development workshop, with participants invited from, but not limited to the fields of anthropology, archaeology, economics, environmental studies, film and media studies, history, law, literature, politics, psychology, and sociology.

Deadline (RECENTLY EXTENDED): January 16, 2008

To Apply:

In order to participate, individuals must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are currently enrolled in an accredited PhD program and working at some stage on their dissertation projects. Regions and countries currently supported by the program include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, and the applicant’s work must relate as a whole or in part to one or more of these regions in their current or historical context.  All applicants are required to submit the following:

• A five page, double spaced summary of the dissertation project, highlighting the dissertation's relationship to the themes and objectives of the workshop
• A 500-word abstract of the project
• One letter of academic recommendation from the applicant's primary advisor or other relevant individual
• Curriculum Vitae

Award decisions will be announced in late January 2008. If selected, participants will be required to submit a 15-25 page dissertation chapter or writing sample. Selected participants will receive detailed information as to the requirements for the writing sample, which will be due in advance of the workshop. The five page application statements, writing samples and CVs will be pre-circulated among all conference participants.

Please address all inquiries and correspondence to:
Social Science Research Council, Eurasia Program
810 Seventh Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 377-2700 x 459; Fax: (212) 377-2727
E-mail: eurasia@ssrc.org

NOTE: All narrative statements and CVs should be submitted by email, and all letters of reference should be sent by post to the address listed above.

Funding for this workshop is provided by the United States Department of State, Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII).