New Political History
International Workshop – arranged by University of Southern Denmark & temp – tidsskrift for historie
University of Southern Denmark, Odense - April 18-19, 2013
Political history is one of modern history’s classic and central disciplines. In an increasingly complex
profession it is often criticized and caricatured, and it is probably also a fact that political history has been
less affected by new theoretical approaches than other sub-disciplines such as cultural history, social
history or economic history.
In recent years, however, a series of new orientations in relation to the historical study of politics have
appeared. In particular, theories and methods related to the many ‘turns’ in historical theory and
methodology (e.g. the linguistic, cultural or transnational) are increasingly influencing research in political
history and political culture. In Germany, a “neue Politikgeschichte” is on the agenda, and similar
developments can be observed in other countries.
Whereas the center of attention of political history has traditionally been the actor/biography, party,
movement, available archival sources or decision processes in the legislative and administrative bodies, it
is the intention of this workshop to thematize other and additional approaches to the historical study of
politics. The point is not that the “old” political history is passé. The point is that politics is a diverse field
that can be studied by the use of many different perspectives and methods.
This international workshop presents a number of contributions to this debate as a first step towards
publishing a theme issue on ‘new political history’ in the Danish historical journal, temp – tidsskrift for
historie (no. 8). Papers are in Danish or English (Danish papers with an English abstract).
Contact: jeppe.nevers@sdu.dk or klaus.petersen@sdu.dk
Venue: University of Southern Denmark, Institute of History (the meeting room)
Klaus Petersen (SDU), Anne-Marie Mai (SDU), Jeppe Nevers (SDU), Karen Gram-Skjoldager (AU), AnnChristina Lauring Knudsen (AU), Claus Kjersgaard Nielsen (AU) & Poul Duedahl (AAU).
temphist · Institut for Historie og Områdestudier · Aarhus Universitet · Nordre Ringgade 4, Bygning 1410 · 8000 Aarhus C · Denmark · www.temphist.dk
Thursday, April 18th
1st session (9.30-12): Towards a New Political History?
Chair: Karen Gram-Skjoldager (University of Aarhus)
Jeppe Nevers (University of Southern Denmark)
What is New Political History? Introductory Remarks
Dean Kotlowski (Salisbury University)
You're Writing About Who? Studying Political and Policy History through Secondary Figures (paper in
English)
Federico Niglia (Luiss University of Rome)
Death and Resurrection of Diplomatic History: A Methodological Reappraisal (paper in English)
Lunch (12-13)
2nd session (9.30-12): Languages, Rhetoric, and Literature
Chair: Jeppe Nevers (University of Southern Denmark)
Klaus Petersen (University of Southern Denmark) & Daniel Béland (University of Saskatchewan)
Languages of Social Policy: Approaches and Comparative Perspectives (no paper, abstract in English)
Christian Kock (University of Copenhagen)
Rhetoric and Politics: On the Transmogrification of ’Welfare’ in Denmark and the US (paper in Danish)
Anne-Marie Mai (University of Southern Denmark)
The Art of the Possible and the Politics of the Impossible: Jacques Rancière’s Discussion of Art, Literature, and
Politics as a Contribution to Political History (paper in Danish)
Dinner (19-)
Friday, April 19th
3rd session (13-16): Widening the Concept of Politics?
Chair: Klaus Petersen (University of Southern Denmark)
Rachel Pierce (University of Virginia)
Paddleball Politics: Race, Gender, and the Role of Sociability in the U.S. Congress (paper in English)
temphist · Institut for Historie og Områdestudier · Aarhus Universitet · Nordre Ringgade 4, Bygning 1410 · 8000 Aarhus C · Denmark · www.temphist.dk
Ning de Coninck-Smith (University of Aarhus)
Politicization of the School Teacher: A Danish Debate in 1973 (paper in Danish)
Marnix Beyen (University of Antwerp)
Grammars of Parliamentary Representation: Direct Interactions between Deputies and ‘Ordinary Citizens’ in
France, 1890-1930 (paper in English)
Lunch (12-13)
4th session (13-15.30): Rethinking the Study of Political Ideas
Chair: Ann-Christina Lauring Knudsen (University of Aarhus)
Niklas Olsen (University of Copenhagen)
Political Ideology: Production and Communication (paper in Danish)
Michael Kuur Sørensen (University of Southern Denmark)
The Innovative Ideologist in Political History (paper in Danish)
Jeppe Nevers (University of Southern Denmark)
Conceptual History and the Study of Politics: Scopes and Limits (paper in Danish)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Not presenting a paper, but still ”onboard”:
Nils Arne Sørensen (University of Southern Denmark)
The Use of Pictures of/in Political History (no paper, writing in Danish)
Anette Warring (Roskilde University)
Memory and the Use of History in Political History (no paper, writing in Danish)
temphist · Institut for Historie og Områdestudier · Aarhus Universitet · Nordre Ringgade 4, Bygning 1410 · 8000 Aarhus C · Denmark · www.temphist.dk