Crossroads 2008
The ACS Crossroads in Cultural Studies conference
Cultural Studies Initiative, University of the West Indies Kingston, Jamaica
CALL FOR SESSIONS
Proposals are invited for SESSIONS at the ACS Crossroads in Cultural Studies conference,
scheduled for July 3 to 7, 2008 in the Caribbean.
The Caribbean could well be regarded as one of the first crossroads of the modern era, where Africa and
Asia met Europe on Amerindian soil. The conditions were a forced and bitter crucible. The results of that
encounter contributed not only to the making of the modern western world but also to the dynamism that is
central to all the cultures of the Western Hemisphere.
Of Sacred Crossroads
Being a site of conquest, dislocation, crossings, enslavement and rebellion, but also of memory and survival,
hope of return, culture-building, in-between-ness, and immense creativity and heritage, the Caribbean is a relevant
site for hosting the ACS Crossroads in Cultural Studies conference, under the theme Of Sacred Crossroads.
Contemporary emphasis on materialism and consumerism as measures of our humanity, arising from the unbridled excesses to
which science and technology have been sometimes put, is of growing concern, putting under duress the intangibles embodied
in the values by which we live as human beings. Out of these concerns has sprung deepening dialogue at the interface between
science and spirituality. UNESCO’s celebration of the intangible heritage of humankind is a timely reminder that civilizations
rise not only on great edifices, monuments and artefacts that defy time, but also on those moments of ‘livity’, or human
relationships, that last only as long as they are lived, without which human life would have little meaning.
Of Sacred Crossroads captures many of these concerns in a manner that allows for the broadest of interpretation and
accommodation across disciplines and forms—religion, art, dance, song, orature, healing, re-creation, performance, ritual,
belief systems, ethics, globalization, communication, among others. Key themes for the Conference include: Rituals of arrival
and contact; Crossings—the art of the crossroads; Spirituality and identity; Language rituals; Globalization and the spirit;
Indigenous spiritualities; Rituals of conflict - rites of rebellion; Virtual realities; virtual spiritualities; (Spiritual)
Tourism; Rituals, substances and sacred geographies; The spirit of music; Cultures of reconciliation; Storytelling; Crossroad
deities and divination; Geographies of the body and spirit.
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
The deadline for submission of session proposals is June 30, 2007. Please see the
Session Organizer's Manual posted
on the website for information on length, format and guidelines for submission of proposals. Please submit you session abstracts
on our website at www.crossroads2008.org.
THE VENUE
The 7th Crossroads Conference will be held at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus in Kingston, Jamaica,
the largest of the three UWI campuses. The Campus is situated in a suburb of the city of Kingston, itself a cultural magnet,
with excellent communications and telecommunications systems, accessibility through two international airports, and a highly
developed road network.
The campus, with a student population of over 15,000, has a rich tradition in hosting international conferences. Nestled in
the Hope Valley under the Blue Mountains, the campus is itself culturally diverse, drawing on regional as well as international
students and boasting its own choir, steel band, dance group and rich nightlife. There is accommodation in student Halls of
Residence as well as the Mona Visitor's Lodge, and interconnectivity including an extensive wireless network is a feature.
Given Jamaica's appeal as a tourist destination we encourage international participants to plan a vacation which can include
excursions to famous beaches in Negril, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay or Portland. Various cultural and natural sites of interest
include, in Kingston, the Bob Marley Museum and the National Gallery of Art, and elsewhere in the island the spectacular
Dunn’s River Falls, the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, Seville Heritage Park, and Treasure Beach, among many
others.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Registration information will be available by summer 2007. Note: To avoid no-shows and guarantee the quality of all sessions,
all paper presenters will be asked to register before April 30, 2008.
CALL FOR PAPERS
A General Call for Papers will be Issued in July 2007.
For further details on the Conference or on the Cultural Studies Initiative and Programme at the University of the West Indies,
Mona Campus, please email: crossroads_2008(at)yahoo.com
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Crossroads 2006
The Crossroads Conference of 2006 was held in Istanbul, Turkey, July 20-23, 2006.
Thanks everyone for making the conference a success!
Previous Crossroads Conferences:
First
Conference in 1996
Second
Conference in 1998
Third
Conference in 2000
Fourth
Conference in 2002
Fifth
Conference in 2004
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