Event Details

End: January 6, 2017
Contact: agrarianworldconference@gmail.com

National University of Ireland, Galway

2-3 June 2017

Between 1815 and 1914, the economic changes associated with the influence of the Industrial Revolution transcended national boundaries, profoundly affecting rural societies by transforming patterns of demand for agricultural commodities. In response, 'progressive' landowners, serfowners and slaveholders throughout the Euro-American world endeavoured to rationalize their management of land and labor while embracing scientific farming techniques and technological innovations. The resulting drives for 'improvement' typically exacerbated the fundamental economic, political and social inequalities that prevailed in most agrarian regions. In all those regions, the proprietors' efforts were often resisted by the diverse range of unfree and free labourers who produced agricultural commodities for sale on the world market, including slaves, serfs, sharecroppers, tenants and peasant proprietors.

This conference welcomes scholars of rural Europe and the Americas to discuss the possibilities for comparative and transnational research within and between the different regions of the Euro-American world focusing on the above issues.

We invite prospective speakers to submit abstracts for 20 minute papers. Each paper proposal should include a 250 word abstract and a one page CV. Please send to agrarianworldconference@gmail.com by 6 January 2017.

Keynote Speaker: Professor Sven Beckert (Harvard University)