DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: February 15, 2002
TIME/PLACE FOCUS PROPOSAL PROCEDURE EXPENSES TRAVEL GRANTS FOR ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS
The Law and Society Association and the Canadian
Law and Society Association are coordinating a special, pre-conference Symposium
on The Reach of Law in the Pacific Rim to precede their joint annual
meetings in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The
Symposium is timed to encourage scholars of law and social science from around
the Pacific Rim to participate in both the symposium and the joint Annual
Meetings of the two associations. Following
the Symposium, some of the papers presented there will be selected for
publication in an edited book.
Participation in the Symposium is limited
to 24 scholars and will be determined by selection among written
proposals (see below). We invite
the broadest possible participation from Pacific Rim scholars, particularly
including those from Australia and New Zealand, Southeast Asia, East and
Northeast Asia, South, Central, and North America, and the Pacific Islands. We anticipate that most participants will also submit papers
for presentation at the Joint Annual Meetings of the Law and Society Association
and the Canadian Law and Society Association held Thursday, May 30 through
Saturday, June 1 (for details about panels and procedures at the Annual
Meetings, please click here; proposals
from Symposium participants, although now after the announced deadline, will be
assured acceptance).
The Symposium will begin at 9:00 AM, May 28, 2002 and conclude 12:00 PM Wednesday, May 29. The Symposium will be held on the campus of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. Participants are expected to use University housing and meal facilities during the event but some may wish to move to the downtown conference hotel during the annual meetings that follow.
The theme of the Symposium, “The Reach of Law in the Pacific Rim” reflects the broader theme of the two associations’ annual meetings: “The Reach of Law”. The Symposium is designed to bring together Pacific Rim scholars who are currently studying issues of law and legal systems from a social scientific standpoint. Participants will present their own work and engage the other participants in discussions of issues raised in each panel. The aim is to examine issues concerning the spread of initiatives throughout the Pacific Rim based on notions of civil society and the role of law in developing civil society. The specific topics that will constitute the foci of this Symposium are:
1. Constitutionalism and the Courts. From Japan and China to Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, changes in constitutions and the jurisdiction and operation of courts continue to be important questions at both the popular and academic levels.
2. Legal Profession and Legal Education In Japan, a process of profound reform is nearing completion concerning the way lawyers and judges are educated, and the way the profession is organized. These changes are likely to induce important changes in the relationships between the legal profession and the public. Similarly, Thailand has recently engaged in a significant shift towards a decentralized and privatized model of legal education. In China the role of the legal profession continues to draw attention and proposals for change.
3. Law and Religion. This was an important focus of an LSA sponsored conference held in Chiangmai, Thailand in 1990 and it is clear that events since then have reinforced the importance of addressing questions in this area. Are law and religion in conflict with each other in the Pacific Rim region, especially since September 11th? Where Confucian values are predominant, how do they fit with efforts at legal reform? The same questions apply to states in which Buddhism and/or Islam constitute significant social forces. What happens to law in eddy of emotions tied to religious aspirations? What is law’s connections with issues of social and economic inequality that often coincide with religious mobilization? Does religion hold keys for new legal forms?
4. Women and Constitutional Reform. Gender issues dovetail with those of religion as well as those of political participation and law in many of these countries. How does the pursuit of rights through law fit with developments in the region? Does law constitute an effective tool for those campaigning for women’s rights? How are these initiatives being received and what effect have they had on legal systems?
5. Indigenous Peoples and the Laws of Nations. Finally, we seek participation on issues involving the intersections between the laws of nation states and those of indigenous communities. In different ways these issues have drawn attention in, among others, Canada, Japan, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Australia, China, Thailand, New Zealand and the Philippines. What role has law played in the development of relations between these indigenous populations and the peoples around them? What happens when there is a clash of laws? How do global organizations of indigenous peoples affect local debates and conflicts and the way law develops around these questions?
6. Legal Culture and Legal Consciousness. Researchers have frequently asserted that the reach of law is affected by distinctive forms of consciousness about conflict, cooperation, and consensus. It has been said, for example, that cultural practices may make law less important in regulating social behavior in certain Asian societies. Such assertions about legal culture and consciousness in Asian countries have been sharply challenged and revised in recent years. These scholarly debates contribute to our understanding of the reach of law in the Pacific Rim."
Please send a proposal (via e-mail if possible) for the presentation of a paper at the Symposium to:
Robert L. Kidder (e-mail: rlkidder@temple.edu or FAX: 215-204-3352) or by post to:
Department of Sociology
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA 19122
USAIn the proposal, include:
1. A description of the kind of work you wish to present, the topic area (one of the six listed above) within which it would most closely fit, and a summary of its relationship to the study of law and social science research.
2. A resume (in English) or biographical statement that includes educational and employment background and scholarly publications and/or professional activities.
3. Include your postal address and other contact information (E-mail, FAX, phone number).
4. (Optional) A short sample of some previous scholarship that you have written.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: February 15, 2002
Notification Date: Selection of participants will be made by March 8, 2002 and applicants will be notified immediately thereafter as to whether or not their proposals were accepted.
Except for those who are eligible for financial support (see below), all participants are expected to pay their own transportation and living expenses at the Symposium. The exact costs of accommodations are not yet determined, but we are attempting to keep them modest. Specific information should be available in advance of the notification deadline. A registration fee of $85 (US) is required to cover the costs of meals (except breakfast), coffee breaks and receptions.
FUNDING FOR ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS
Funding is available from a grant from the National Science Foundation of the United States to support up to 12 participants. It includes funds sufficient to pay for travel (roundtrip to/from Vancouver), accommodations and meals during participation in the Symposium and the Joint Annual Meetings of the Law and Society Association and the Canadian Law and Society Association (i.e. May 27 arrival to June 2 departure). Registration fees for the joint annual meetings will also be covered.
Funding must be restricted to those scholars from regions where institutional support for participation in international meetings such as this is not available. Those eligible for travel and expense support are scholars coming to the meetings from, and are a citizen of, Cambodia, Central and South America nations (with Pacific boundaries), China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Pacific Islands nations, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, or Vietnam. It is expected that if one receives this support, she or he will participate by presenting a paper in the Symposium and a second paper in a panel at the Annual Meetings.
Funding may be requested for the following costs: 1. Round-trip travel expense (economy airfare, bus or train; receipts required); 2. Symposium room accommodations (two nights) and joint LSA/CLSA Annual Meetings rooms (four nights); 3. Food expense (all meals during the Symposium) and a per diem (to cover both food and local transportation costs) during the Annual Meetings.
Those eligible for consideration for financial support, should include the following information with their proposal:
Specify the items for which you need support:
a. Economy Class Air (bus/train) travel. Estimated cost: US $ _______.
b. Hotel lodging.
How many nights? _______.(six
maximum)
c. Meals allowance. How many days? _______. (six maximum)