Berkshire Conference of Women Historians

Fourteenth Berkshire Conference on the History of Women
Continuities and Changes
June 12-15, 2008

Can people in fields outside of history submit proposals?

Yes. Non-historians can deliver papers and act as chairs and comments. We also welcome proposals from independent scholars, whether or not they define themselves as historians. As a general rule, though, individual papers (and the panels and roundtables in which they appear) need to be intelligible to an audience made up largely of historians of women, and to be relevant to the current historical enterprise, broadly conceived.

Can I submit a proposal for a single paper?

We prefer that you submit proposals for a complete panel or roundtable (for panels, generally two to three papers, a chair and a comment; for roundtables up to a maximum of about six people). You can submit a proposal for a single paper and we always accept some of these, but you will have a smaller chance of having your paper accepted than you would if you submitted as part of a panel or roundtable. This is because we will have to find an existing panel or roundtable to "place" it in, break up an existing panel, or construct a credible panel or roundtable from other single papers. All of these activities are time-consuming and potential sources of ill will. We do this sort of thing on occasion, but we try to do it as little as possible.

Can two panels or roundtables on similar topics be linked?

We are open to the possibility. Be sure to indicate the rationale for the linkage somewhere in your proposal. If both panels are accepted remind us to take the linkage into account when space and time-slots are being assigned.

What is the difference between a panel and a roundtable?

There isn't a rigid demarcation between the two. However Panels typically involve a chair, two to three papers, and a comment. Often panels focus more narrowly on a specific historical problem, field, area, or time period (though many are comparative across regions or periods, and they can be interdisciplinary). Roundtables tend to take on "larger," and somewhat more speculative (and sometimes more controversial) subjects, and they often feature shorter, more informal presentations by a larger number of people, and they usually include more discussion time for audience members. You may wish to look at some of the roundtables and panels offered at the 2005 Berkshire Conference for comparison by clicking here (berks05.pdf 530KB)

How long is each panel or roundtable?

Two hours. In general film screenings, performances, and other special events should also fit within two hours. Hours for art exhibits will have to be negotiated.

What are the seminars and workshops?

In both seminars and workshops (unlike panels and roundtables) papers will be pre-circulated by posting on a website accessible to all Berkshire Conference registrants. Rather than presenting the papers themselves in the session, participants will spend the time discussing papers they have already read.

Seminars are on topics designated by the Program Committee, led by designated scholars (see list here.) They are designed for a group of twelve scholars to share papers and discussion about a theme of mutual interest. The seminars have been designed to be comparative and thematic to encourage conversations we might not have otherwise.

Workshops are similar to the seminars, except they do not have designated leaders or topics. You may propose them as you would a panel. They are intended to provide time and space at the Berks for scholars working on similar ideas and themes to share pre-circulated papers and have a conversation. The workshops might be particularly useful for scholars who are geographically or intellectually isolated in their daily professional lives, and we hope they will provide an opportunity for women’s historians to meet and talk in-depth about their research with peers from around the world. We do not want to predetermine the size of the workshops, but ideally they would include between 3 and 7 participants.

How long are the seminars and workshops?

To encourage as much conversation among participants as possible, these sessions will last 2-1/2 hours.

How do I apply for the seminars?

Using the on-line proposal submission form, select the specific seminar you want to apply to in the drop-down menu. (Consult the list of seminars for more details). Then submit an abstract of a paper related to the theme of the seminar along with the other information requested. Seminar leaders will review the proposals and choose the participants for their seminars at the Berks. The final papers, of not more than 20 pages, will be pre-circulated on the web.

How do I apply for the workshops?

Applications for workshops should, like proposals for panels and roundtables, be coordinated by one person, who will describe in some detail the purpose and rationale for the workshop, and who will collect all of the relevant information from the other workshop participants, including abstracts for the papers they want to discuss in the workshop.

Where do I post my seminar or workshop paper?

If your paper is accepted you will receive instructions on how to submit it for posting. You will not have to do the HTML formatting yourself. All conference registrants will receive information on how to access the papers.

Can graduate students apply to give papers?

Yes. We welcome papers and proposals by graduate students, and they typically deliver a significant proportion of the papers at the Berkshire Conference. We are also not averse to panels or roundtables made up entirely of graduate students. However, all other things being equal, it is not a good idea for all or almost all of your panelists or roundtable participants to be affiliated with the same institution. This holds for all panels or roundtables, whether or not graduate students appear on them. It is also the case that papers at the Berkshire Conference tend to have substantial scholarly research behind them: successful graduate student papers are typically versions of dissertation chapters rather than seminar papers. For more advice on creating a successful proposal, see “What does the Program Committee look for in a proposal?” below.

Do men give papers at the Berkshire Conference?

Yes.

Can I appear more than once on the program?

No, you may not. It is not uncommon for one person to be named in several proposals (e.g., to appear as a comment for one, and a paper-giver for another). However if we accept more than one of the panels or roundtables in which you are named as a participant, you will have to choose which one you wish to participate in, and work with us to find someone to replace you on the others. There will be no exceptions to this.

I’m interested in participating in one of the seminars. Can I also submit a paper proposal?

Yes, but if the seminar leader selects your paper, you will have to choose between the seminar and the panel. You will only be allowed to present in one context at the Berks.

June 2008 is awfully far away and I don't know yet whether I'll be able to attend the conference. Should I submit a proposal anyway?

The Berkshire Conference is held only once every three years and is both a significant event in the field and a significant amount of work for a lot of people. You should not submit a paper unless you plan to deliver it. If you submit a paper and then pull out before the program is finalized, you cause a lot of extra work for the organizer of your panel and for the Program Committee. If you pull out after the program is finalized, you cheat conference attendees who may be coming to hear you, as well as other people whose papers were not accepted. When you are notified that your paper has been accepted, you will be asked to pay your registration fee in advance. A paper will not be included in the program unless the presenter has paid the registration fee.

Can I submit my proposal by fax or mail?

No. We may make exceptions to this on a case by case basis if you have absolutely no way to submit your proposal using our electronic submission system. However, we have chosen this system because it is most easily and equally accessible to scholars globally. If you are unable to use the web submission system, please contact the conference at berks@umn.edu

When will I hear if my panel or paper has been accepted or rejected?

Proposals will be read and evaluated by the Program Committee during the Winter and Spring of 2007. You should hear in July or August of 2007 whether or not your proposal has been accepted.

What does the Program Committee look for in a proposal? How important is it to address the conference theme, “Continuities and Changes?”

The Program Committee works hard to bring to the Berkshire Conference the best new work being done in women's history worldwide.

For each panel or roundtable the Program Committee looks to see if the individual papers form a thematic whole (the short section in the proposal submission form that asks you to supply a rationale for the entire panel or roundtable is extremely important and is read with great care). It looks at each one-page paper abstract to see if the papers look interesting, read coherently and well, pose a clear historical or other problem, are based on solid new research, and have something new to say about the topic at hand. It examines the scholarly achievements of all applicants (whether applying as part of a panel or roundtable or not) to evaluate whether the person has the background to speak with authority on her or his topic, and (in the case of a panel or roundtable) whether the panelists are likely to complement one another, as well as to represent a diversity of approaches.

The Program Committee also looks to fill gaps in the field of women's history and to cover fields that may not be familiar to the majority of women's historians. So, for example, it looks especially hard for panels on Native Americans or Indigenous peoples in the U.S., Latin America, and Canada, or gender in ancient, medieval, and early modern (pre-1800) history. Particularly in the case of 19th-century and 20th-century topics, well-conceived panels or roundtables that seek to cross the boundary between regions or countries with a more developed historiography (the U.S. and Canada, Western Europe, Japan, Australia, etc.) and regions or countries with a less developed historiography will generally be looked upon more favorably than panels or roundtables which focus narrowly on the U.S., Canada, or Western Europe.

It is not necessary that every panel or roundtable address the conference theme, “Continuities and Changes,” which you can find at www.berksconference.org. However, panels and roundtables that convincingly address the theme will have an advantage over those that do not. As has been true in all past Berkshire Conferences, the Program Committee will shape the program, and, if necessary, it will alter the composition of some panels or roundtables for greater intellectual coherence and to better address the conference theme.

Finally, the Program Committee also looks for panels that strive for diversity, in all respects. Because we strive to promote conversations among people of all ages, ranks, and stature in the profession, panels and roundtables that include people from different kinds of institutions, ranks, sub-fields, and roles in the profession will have a better chance of getting on the program than those whose participants are more homogeneous. Obvious exceptions to this would be sessions dedicated to graduate student issues or other topics keyed to specific stage-of-professional-life questions, and panels or roundtables examining work in specific kinds of institutions (for example, a panel about teaching women’s history in Catholic or evangelical Christian colleges and universities) or sub-fields of history (such as a roundtable on designing women’s history exhibitions for museums).

How important is it that I adhere to the limitations on employment information and paper abstracts?

It is very important. The organizers of the last Berkshire Conference received more than 700 proposals (translating into several thousand individual applicants) from more than 40 countries. The online system is designed to place information directly in a database from which the program committee will work. The database cannot accept additional information.

How do I apply to perform or exhibit my artwork, poster, or public history
installation at the Conference?

The Berkshire Conference has traditionally featured a number of special performances and exhibitions of various sorts (public history programs, music, theater, art, movies, slide-shows, multi-mediaproductions, poster sessions) that appear relevant to the larger project of women's history. If you wish to propose a panel focused on a particular film
or performance, submit it as a regular panel at http://berks.pop.umn.edu/berkshire.jsp. The Berkshire Conference does not have a budget for paying travel costs or honoraria for artists or performers; it is assumed that people interested in performing or exhibiting will consider themselves sufficiently compensated by the exposure. We are sorry, but there is no point in sending us your publicity material if you are not in a position to perform or exhibit
free of charge.

Performances/Films: Please direct all inquiries as soon as possible to Program Committee co-chair Ann Little at ann.little@colostate.edu to determine whether your work is appropriate to the conference, and to find out what supporting documentation you should send us (videotapes, DVDs, photographs, etc.). Please use <this form> when making your initial inquiry, and be sure to indicate the length of your performance or film.

Exhibitions/Poster Sessions: Because we have only very limited access to gallery space, please direct all inquiries as early as possible to Local Arrangements co-Chair Lisa Norling at norli001@umn.edu to determine whether your work is appropriate to the conference, and to find out what supporting documentation you should send us. Please use <this form> when making your initial inquiry, and be sure to indicate your space needs in linear feet.

I am a publisher, bookseller, journal editor or part of an on-line or off-line media company, and I am interested in renting space in the book exhibit. How do I get on the mailing list for further information?

If you exhibited at the 2005 Berkshire Conference, you will be contacted. Otherwise, or if you have further question, e-mail berks@umn.edu.