At Torino 2013 conference we will hold sessions that focus on theoretical, methodological and empirical aspects of research on racism and antisemitism, especially in a comparative framework. The network’s perspective is to bridge the divide between the understanding of antisemitism and of racism, exploring the correspondences, contiguities and contrasts across the divide. Our over-arching question is to understand what are the material conditions, social contexts and other conditions shaping variations in antisemitism, racism and other forms of intolerance, across time and across different European and global contexts. The general theme of the ESA conference as a whole is Crisis, Critique and Change and we particularly invite papers that address this theme. We propose sessions, which will address the theme in the following way.
Crisis: What new configurations of racism and antisemitism are arising with the crisis? Does crisis necessarily give rise to increased racism and xenophobia? What are the specific conditions under which it might do so? Are there specific forms of xenophobia and intolerance, which flourish in urban contexts?
Critique: How can sociology’s critique deepen our understanding of racisms? How does sociology’s critique relate to social critiques developed by both emancipatory and reactionary social movements? In particular, what are the different forms of denial and disavowal, which structure contemporary racisms? For example, how are European histories of racism and genocide denied or repressed; how are new manifestations of racism disavowed or projected elsewhere? How do social critiques from the historic left contest, intersect or converge with critiques from the historic right? Are there forms of anti-capitalist critique emerging with the crisis that might enable rather than combat intolerance? What can sociology of racism bring to an understanding of populism?
Change: What relationships with the past structure contemporary forms of intolerance? How does social memory (and its repression) contribute both to the perpetuation of intolerance and to its critique? How are old antisemitic motifs used against new groups? How do changing forms of intolerance illuminate the changing constitution of the political across Europe?
We are especially interested in papers that contribute to a European sociology of racisms: that is, to an understanding that exceeds methodological and conceptual nationalism, enables a comparative focus across European contexts, and captures the specificity of European forms and traditions of racism. We are particularly interested in papers that contribute to the development of more robust methodological tools for measuring and analysing antisemitism and racism in this comparative context.
