Workshop for Young Researchers – Ethnical and Racial Discriminations and Religious Identities

Deadline: July 10, 2018

Call for papers for young researchers “Ethnical and Racial Discriminations and Religious Identities: Norms, Practices and Interactions, 1400-1850”

Florence, 24th-26th October 2018

Since 2014 the Sangalli Institute for the religious history and cultures is actively engaged in supporting the activities of young researchers, especially in the field of the religious studies, with particular attention to history and humanities. We are convinced that, only through the pooling of scientific cross-sectional and generational experiences, the study of the past can effectively foster social and cultural progress. That is the reason why the Sangalli Institute, inspired by the re-emerging in our societies of racist, xenophobic and anti-semitic feelings and behaviors, is organizing between 24th and 26th of October 2018 a workshop on “Ethnical and Racial Discriminations and Religious Identities: Norms, Practices and Interactions, 1400-1850”.

The workshop is scientifically coordinated by Massimo Campanini (Ambrosian Academy, Milan – IUSS, Pavia), Massimo Carlo Giannini (University of Teramo), Maurizio Sangalli (University for foreigners of Siena) and Myriam Silvera (University of Roma Tor Vergata), with the collaboration of Marco Ricca (Protestant Cultural Center ‘Pietro Martire Vermigli’, Florence) and Letizia Tomassone (Waldensian Church, Florence), and it will take place at the Sangalli Institute (Piazza di San Firenze 3, Firenze – Italy). The workshop will focus on the building of cultural and religious models that, during the Modern Era, justified the discriminations of groups, communities and individuals on the basis of their ethnical and/or religious identities.

The aim is to particularly examine the formal or informal elaboration of norms, the concrete practices and the reciprocal interactions among the different levels of that topic. A special attention will be dedicated to the comparative aspects and to the contaminations, trying to answer to some of the following questions:

In which way the practices of discrimination and forced conversion of the Jewish and Muslim minorities would have been affected the Christianity in Africa, America and Asia and the creation of implicit/non-implicit hierarchies among ‘whites’ and ‘non-whites’?

How religions faced to the topic of the ‘purity of blood’ and of the ‘contamination’, typical of the Modern Era?

During the morning sessions, Francisco Bethencourt (King’s College, London), Rosita D’Amora (University of Salento), Irene Fosi (University “G. D’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara), Pierluigi Valsecchi (University of Pavia) will give lectures followed by discussions with participants. Then, 12 young researchers will discuss their research projects and get feedbacks from the above mentioned senior scholars.

Researchers must be in the second year of their doctorate or have held a Ph.D. in historical, anthropological, literary and art-historical disciplines and in religious studies. The Ph.D. must have been obtained in the last 4 years, counting from the date of this call. Lectures and discussions could be in Italian, English, French and Spanish.

The selected young researchers will receive from the Sangalli Institute a refund for travel and living expenses up to 200,00 euros, only upon presentation of relevant receipts. The Sangalli Institute will be pleased to help young researchers with finding suitable accommodation in Florence.

To participate in the selection, candidates must send their application, together with all required documents, no later than 12 pm of the 10th of July 2018, at the following address: segreteria@istitutosangalli.it.

Applications must include, exclusively in digital format:

a) a CV, with e-mail and telephone number, specifying that the young researcher is at least on his or her second year of a doctorate or has obtained a Ph.D. in historical, anthropological, literary and art-historical disciplines and in religious studies no more than 4 years prior to the date of this call

b) researchers enrolled in the second year of their doctorate must present a summary of the research project of their thesis (no more than 4.000 characters)

c) doctors who have held their Ph.D. in the last 4 years must present the research project they are currently developing (no more than 4.000 characters).

Applications received after the deadline of this call or those that are incomplete will not be considered. The Sangalli Institute shall not be held responsible for any not received or incomplete application. The results of the selection and the related merit ranking will be published on the web and facebook sites of the Sangalli Institute for the religious history and cultures (http://www.istitutosangalli.it; https://www.facebook.com/istitutosangalli) by the 20th of July 2018

The selected candidates must communicate their formal acceptance within 7 days following the publication of the list to the address segreteria@istitutosangalli.it. Once the deadline expired, those who have not communicate their acceptance will be excluded and their place will be taken by the following candidate on the above mentioned merit ranking. The selected young researchers must attend all the sessions of the workshop and any other related scientific activity. The refund of the expenses will be delivered at the end of the workshop, after confirmation that the candidates have fulfilled all their obligations. The workshop is open to the public.

Official Information