2009 INTERNATIONAL BIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF THE INTER-UNIVERSITY SEMINAR ON ARMED FORCES AND SOCIETY

The Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, Illinois USA
23 – 25 October 2009

A Call for Papers

DEADLINE: Monday 02 February 2009

The International Biennial Conference of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society will be held in downtown Chicago, Illinois, at the Palmer House Hilton on 23 – 25 October 2009. The Program Committee is currently soliciting proposals for individual papers and for panel sessions.

PLEASE NOTE: 2009 CONFERENCE PANELS WILL BEGIN FRIDAY MORNING, 23 October, with panels both morning and afternoon, and the IUS Welcome Reception and Dinner that evening. The regular Saturday and Sunday schedules will remain, with panels ending Sunday 25 October at noon. It may be best to plan to arrive on Thursday 22 October 2009.

Prospective participants may submit proposals on any topic within the broad intellectual scope of the IUS. Comparative and cross-national research is strongly encouraged. The following list is offered for consideration, but proposals are not limited to these suggestions.

Global Coalitions and Cross-National Alliances

• Cooperation and conflict between NATO and non-NATO militaries
• Interface of East and West with developing nations
• New economic and military alliances
• The military's role(s) in democratization and nation building

Social and Personnel Issues

• Social, cultural, medical, and institutional aftermaths of military conflicts
• Social issues (families, quality of life, women, minorities, gays in the military, etc.)
• Force restructuring (active-reserve mix, conscript v. professional, etc.)
• Impact of different cultures on military operations
• Enlisted and reserve forces: the quest for respect

Area Studies and Cross-National Analyses of Military Institutions

• Economic and military impact of the Pacific Rim and Asia
• Changing civil-military relations in EU and NATO enlargement
• The post-modern military reconsidered
• People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China, and its impact on society

Civil-Military Relations

• Impact of military operations on recruiting, retention, patriotism, anti-war/pro-war coalitions, etc.
• Military culture and/or structure of armed forces
• Conscription and/or national service

Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism, and Counter-Insurgency

• International cooperation in counter-terrorism
• Conceptualizing ""terrorists"", ""insurgents"" and ""freedom fighters""
• Changing nature of warfare and counter-terrorism
• Home fronts in warfare and counter-terrorism
• Depictions of the military, insurgents, terrorists and counter-terrorism in the media
• New missions and roles of military forces: Blurring military and police roles
• Legal issues relevant to the military, terrorism and counter-terrorism
• Civil-military relations after September 11, 2001 and subsequent events
• Pre-emptive strikes and potential repercussions
• The UN's role in fighting terror
• Debating the links between US and/or other countries' foreign policies and terrorism

Post-Cold War Military Operations

• Peacekeeping and Peacemaking operations
• War in close quarters: Urban warfare after Mogadishu
• Roles of the UN and NATO
• Intra-state conflict, and domestic and international military involvement

The Panels

Most of the Conference is devoted to concurrent panels divided into simultaneous sessions each day. Again, note that panels will begin on FRIDAY MORNING, 23 October 2009. This is a change from previous years, intended to accommodate the growth of this important international conference.

Panels will be scheduled for 90 minutes each. Typically, panels have three to five panelists, a chair and a presenter. Individuals submitting single papers will be grouped by relevant subject matter into panels by the Committee. Panels are limited to no more than five (5) papers.

Proposals for entire panels (5 papers maximum) must indicate if a presenter is being requested (see below). Panel proposals with more than five (5) papers will be rejected by the Program Committee.

Presenter Format

Panels will use the presenter format, pioneered by IUS Founding Chairman Morris Janowitz. Presenters provide a summary and analysis of panelists' papers, including their own critique. The authors of the individual papers then make brief comments after the presenter's overview. This maximizes time available for discussion and provides a thematic overview of the papers. This differs from the discussant model used at other conferences, where paper authors speak first, and then the discussant provides his/her own comments and critique of the papers. As a courtesy, authors should provide copies of their papers to the presenter and the other panelists at least four (4) weeks in advance of the Conference.

Proposal Dates and Deadlines

The Program Committee must receive e-mailed proposals no later than Monday 02 February 2009. The IUS Secretariat will acknowledge receipt of each proposal via email.

Both paper and panel proposals (one page, please) must include the following information:

• Paper Title(s)
• Author(s) with address(es), phone, fax, and e-mail
• Brief abstract (200 words)

A panel proposal should also include:

• Panel Title/Topic/Subject
• Names of Chair and of Presenter
• Names, e-mails, phone/fax and addresses of all panelists (Maximum of 5)

Authors may submit one or more separate and distinct papers, provided they understand that IUS Conference participation is generally limited to one (1) sole-authored paper and no more than two (2) appearances on the final program. The Program Committee will make decisions accordingly.

Please e-mail all proposals to the IUS Secretariat by Monday 02 February 2009. Do not use any other e-mail address for the IUS Secretariat. Receipt of proposals will be confirmed by return e-mail within 72 hours.

Final decisions regarding the program will be made in late April 2009. All communications on proposal acceptance or decline, the program, hotel information, etc. will be sent electronically via e-mail.

The Program

A Preliminary Program with Conference and hotel details will be e-mailed in May.

NOTE: For accepted proposals, the Committee must have final titles of papers, author(s) name(s), the composition of panels, and names of chairs and presenters no later than 20 August 2009 to insure inclusion in the Conference Program.

Conference Registration

By resolution of the IUS Council, all participants must register for the Conference and pay the appropriate fee. Panelists in any capacity must do this to be included on the program. Students are encouraged to participate actively in the Conference with discounted registration fees. This is true without regard to the length of time a participant expects to be at the Conference, or whether he or she is an IUS Fellow. The registration fee includes certain meals and other elements; this single fee cannot be adjusted or reduced if you do not avail yourself of conference features. Registration information will be available on or about 1 January 2009.

Conference Papers and Conference CD

Conference papers will be made available to participants on CD. There is no Paper Room. Conference participants are required to submit an electronic copy of papers for inclusion on the IUS 2009 conference CD. No copyright is claimed by or granted to the IUS through such CD inclusion; it remains fully with the author(s).

Audio-Visual Equipment

Rental of audio visual equipment is prohibitively expensive and the union agreement at the hotel does not permit participants to bring their own equipment. As an alternative, panelists should include any necessary charts, graphs, or figures in their papers and/or bring copies for distribution to panel attendees. Authors are responsible for duplicating and distributing their own materials.

Additional Comment from the Conference Committee

If there are any questions about this Call for Papers or other organizational matter, please contact the IUS Secretariat.

We are looking forward to another excellent conference that attendees will find both professionally and personally rewarding.