[OPE-L] CFP, Neo-liberalism and the Crisis of Contemporary Society

From: OPE-L Administrator (ope-admin@ricardo.ecn.wfu.edu)
Date: Fri Apr 29 2005 - 13:34:37 EDT


--------------------- Original Message--------------------
Subject: Call for Paper
From:    "akira matsumoto" <amatsu@ec.ritsumei.ac.jp>
Date:    Fri, April 29, 2005 2:35 am
To:      glevy@PRATT.EDU
Cc:      OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU
-----------------------------------------------------------

=============================================
  **************
    Call for Papers
  **************
JSPE 53rd Annual Conference, 2005
"Neo-liberalism and the Crisis of Contemporary Society"
15-16 October 2005 at Daito Bunka University :
1-9-1 Takashimadaira, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 175-8571, Japan

  The 53rd annual conference of the the JAPAN SOCIETY OF POLITICAL
ECONOMY
(JSPE) will be held on October 15 (Saturday) and 16 (Sunday), 2005, at
the
 Itabashi Campus of Daito-Bunka University, Tokyo. The topic for the
plenary  session in this conference will be Neo-liberalism and the
Crisis of  Contemporary Society, intended as a sequel to its 2004
counterpart, which  was The Market Today ? What Economics Understands by
That Term. It is hoped  that the new theme will build on the critique of
market
fundamentalism  debated with much heat last year at the JSPE 52nd annual
conference at Osaka  University of Economics, so that we may finally
come to grips with the real  nature of the neo-liberal ideology that
underpins the crisis of present-day  society, in both historical and
theoretical light.
 $B!! (BIn the process of overcoming stagflation which had ravaged
developed  countries, there arose concomitantly political leaders of
neo-liberal  persuasion, such as Reagan, Thatcher and Nakasone, at the
beginning of the  1980s, campaigning in concert for smaller government,
freedom in the market  and eventually globalization. Globalization is
the pious hope of
multinational firms which translates itself into the market-oriented
policies, promoted vigorously with the neo-liberal ideology by the IMF
and
 the World Bank. In consequence of these policies we have witnessed
widening  gulf between the rich and the poor, increasing degradation of
the  environment and the undermining of acquired rights of the working
classes,  all in the name of the structural change of the economy and
the protection  of the right and responsibility of the individual. While
the solidarity of  the community and the power of trade unions are
systematically encroached  upon, civil movements of all sorts,
represented by NPOs and NGOs, are  spreading quickly throughout the
world. It appears as though the old   $B!H (Bsafety nets $B!I (B are
being replaced by new forms of people $B!G (Bs intervention  and
surveillance. It is, however, not yet clear in which direction the
aggregate of these varied trends might eventually lead.
 $B!! (BIf neo-liberalism is an ideology in support of the
 $B!H (Bglobalizing $B!I (B  imperialism which has entailed the current
crisis of human society, we must  first relate it with the present phase
of development of capitalism so as to  comprehend its historical
significance. Globalization has indeed had the  effect of weakening the
nation-state, as national borders have become  relative. But, while the
traditional state shows signs of decline, the  regional and ideological
coalitions of the states are today more easily  formed for the purpose
of collective defense and/or wars of aggression. None  of the specific
issues that face Japan at present, be it budgetary reforms,  reforms of
the welfare and pension system, restructuring of firms and  industry or
deregulation of the labor market, can be adequately understood  out of
the context, that is to say, in isolation from the broader trends of
the world economy dictated by new imperialism which embodies the message
of  neo-liberalism. It is up to political economy to throw theoretical
light on  the hidden force working behind the scene.
Sessions :
 $B!! (BThe JSPE invites proposals for sessions in English in the
following two  categories. (The main language of the conference is
Japanese. There will be  several English sessions on October 15.)
English Sessions 1: Neo-liberalism and the Crisis of Contemporary
Society   $B!! (BThe JSPE welcomes the papers in reference to
neo-liberalism with key words  such as (1) labor, poverty, classes and
the polarization of winners and  losers in the world economy; (2)
globalization, new
imperialism, etc., (3)  The question of  $B!H (BWhere to find the agent
of required social reforms $B!I (B, and  (4) other problematic.
English Sessions 2: Other General topics
 $B!! (BThe JSPE also hopes to organize sessions focused on such popular
themes as  gender, the environment, economic regions and the Chinese
economy, while  remaining completely open to suggestions and proposals
of presentations on  other topics.

Submission Procedures and the Deadline
 $B!! (BProposals should be reached the JSPE International Communication
and  Exchange Committee by 31 May 2005 at the latest.
Notification of acceptance will be sent by 19 June.
When submitting your proposal, please include:
1. The title of proposed paper and the category of the session;
2. The name(s) of the author(s) and affiliation;
3. E-mail and mailing address;
4. An abstract (up to 200 words).

Postal address is given below. Preference will be given to e-mail
submissions.

Cost:
 $B!! (BAttendants will pay their conference fee (5000 yen including the
 conference buffet), own transportation, accommodation and other
personal  expenses.

Contact:
Shinjiro HAGIWARA or Tomohiko SEKINE
e-mail address : Jspe53@mml.gssm.musashi.ac.jp
Postal Mailing address:
To :Prof. Shinjiro HAGIWARA
Faculty of Economics, Yokohama National University
Tokiwadai 79-3, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken, 240-8501, Japan
 TEL:+ 81-45-339-3575 (Prof. HAGIWARA $B!G (Bs Office), Fax:+
81-45-339-3504

Please Forward Widely.

Tetsuji Kawamura
Chairman of the JSPE International Committee for Communication and
Exchange.

========================================

********************************************
Professor Akira Matsumoto Phd.

College of Economics,
Ritsumeikan University
Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
Tel:+81-77-561-3433(Office)
Fax:+81-77-525-3947
E-mail:amatsu@ec.ritsumei.ac.jp
***********************************


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