At the MESA annual meeting of 2011 in Washington DC, we (Mohammed Bamyeh and I) organized a panel on Middle East Studies in the Post September 11 Era. I am now preparing for the publication of an edited volume on Middle East Studiesafter September 11: Neo-Orientalism, American Hegemony and Academia. I invite submission of articles and chapters to be considered for this volume, which will be published in late 2013.
In this book, we will look at and attempt to understand Middle East Studies through the lens of Sociology, Political Science, Social and Political Theories and as such, the work is intended as a contemporary exploration of Edward Said¹s thesis first laid out in his book Orientalism; that Middle Eastern Studies produces not value-free knowledge but policy-oriented knowledge. Moreover, that the field of Middle East Studies is tied to the culture of colonialism. In the post-September 11th era, we have witnessed an increased tendency to build closer, more explicit and multifaceted relationships between universities and the state. Our hypothesis is that in the case of Middle East Studies, this may be understood as a brand of Neo-Orientalism. Several examples may be identified within the US academic study of the Middle East and Islam, especially where the field is most strongly connected to the work of think-tanks, governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Contributors for this project include: Hamid Dabbashi (Columbia University), Mohamed Bamyeh (University of Pittsburg), Osamah Khalil (Syracuse University), Shah Mahmoud Hanifi (James Madison University), Ozcan Hidir (Islamic University of Rotterdam) and Kemal Silay (Indiana University), among others to be selected.
If you are interested in participating and contributing to this project, please send me your proposed title, an abstract (300-400 words), and a short bio (100-200 words) as word attachments to Tugrul Keskin tugrulkeskin@pdx.edu or tugrulk@vt.edu
YOU FIND THE TOPICS WE ARE INTERESTED IN BELOW:
- Orientalism, Neo-Orientalism and Middle East and Islamic Studies
- Orientalism and Turkish, Arabic, Persian/Iranian, Pakistani and Central Asian Studies
- Orientalism and Area Studies (Muslim Societies)
- Middle East Studies, and Think-Tanks, NGOs, MESA, etc.
- Comparisons of Orientalism and Neo-Orientalism across US and European academic cultures or elsewhere
- The Role of the State in Middle East Studies in the Post-September 11 era, such as Title VI, Flagship programs, ARIT, US Institute of Peace, NED, etc.
IMPORTANT DATES
- Deadline for abstract submissions is September 10, 2012
- Full Paper submission deadline: January 14, 2013
- Proposed Publication Date is October 2013.
Tugrul Keskin
Assistant Professor of International and Middle Eastern Studies
Affiliated Faculty of Black Studies
Sociology and Center for Turkish Studies
Middle East Studies Coordinator (INTL)
Portland State University
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For queries/ submissions: Tugrul Keskin tugrulkeskin@pdx.edu or tugrulk@vt.edu
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