ASEN annual conference

Link to the conference website.

The Association for the Study of Ethnicity and Nationalism (ASEN) is holding its 20th Anniversary Conference entitled “Nation and Charisma”, between the 20th and 22nd of April 2010 at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Must nations have ‘founding fathers’, and nationalist movements charismatic leaders? Does nationalism differ in this respect from any other mass movement? If nationalism is a species of secular religion, is it also therefore a cult of the hero or heroine? How important is leadership for the national cause, and what are its effects for good or ill? These are some of the questions which the ASEN’s 20th Anniversary Conference seeks to address.

The conference will include keynote addresses from leading scholars in the field, along with opportunities for scholars from various disciplines to examine the relationship between nationalism and charisma in a series of panel sessions. Suggested themes include:

 

Charismatic Authority and Oratory

Charisma, Cultural Nationalism and the Arts

Religious Charisma and Secular Nationalism

Iconography and Personality Cults

Popular Mobilisation vs. Elite Manipulation

Charismatic Leadership from Above and Grass-root Movements from Below

Political Transformation of CharismaThe first day will explore the theoretical and historical relationship between nations, nationalism and the concept of charisma. The second day will address types of political leadership, ranging from right to left; religious to secular; democratic to authoritarian. The third day will explore how far charismatic nationalism is a movement from below or above, and how it responds to the national vision of historians, linguists, poets, musicians and other intellectuals. The conference will adopt an interdisciplinary approach focusing on historical, theoretical, and contemporary aspects of the theme.

conferenceconference Published: 4.11.09 / 6pm
Tags: conference