Africa in the African Diaspora

This workshop, which builds upon recent hires at the UW-Madison in African diaspora studies, will focus especially on the basic question of identity, the diffusion of African identity throughout and the place of Africa in the African diaspora.

Coordinator: Tejumola Olaniyan (African Languages and Literature)

Byzantium and the West

A continuation of a 2002-2003 workshop on "The Byzantine Commonwealth," this workshop will examine the influence of the Byzantine empire on the West in such areas as art, architecture, religion, politics, historiography, and thought.

Coordinator: Paul Stephenson (History)

Empire in Transition: A Cultural and Historical Case Study

From 1899 to 1902, the United States became involved in The Philippine Insurrection, a guerrilla war that has been largely forgotten by the general public. This workshop uses that little-remembered event as a starting point for considering the wider meaning of empire in the making of the modern world.

Coordinator: Victor Bascara (English and Asian American Studies)

The Subject of Electronica

Electronic dance music or electronica is integral to youth culture, omnipresent in consumer society, and a central part of current debates regarding the impact of technology. The group will combine discussion with listening sessions to examine the position of individuals in the production and consumption of electronica; the representations of the body and of desire in electronica; and the messages, ideas and politics the music signifies.

Coordinator(s): Henry Turner () and Michael Peterson (Theater and Drama)

Transnational Gender History

In recent years, many feminist scholars have begun to adopt a more transnational approach to writing the history of women and gender, responding to the limitations of nation-bound histories. This newer approach emphasizes the permeability of national boundaries and political contests of power, and pays attention to international feminist, labor, and working-class movements that transcend national interests. This workshop will explore the interaction of gender identities with those of various races, ethnicities, and nations, to better understand the changing notion of “woman” across space and time.

Coordinator: Mary Louise Roberts (History)