Call for Papers: The Pacific in the World (Harvard Grad Student Conference)

Posted on September 23, 2017 by Travis


Event: Graduate Student Conference on International History
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge MA
Date: March 22-23, 2018
Abstract Submission Deadline: Nov 15, 2017

This year’s Harvard Graduate Student Conference on International History has the theme “Global and International History: The Pacific in the World.” The Conference, which showcases the work of graduate students from around the world, will take place at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA on March 22nd-23rd, 2017.

From the conference organizers:

By geographic area, the Pacific Ocean is the largest in the world. It has been the site of unique ecological and environmental patterns, protracted political contestations, grand imperial dreams and diverse movements of resistance. It has facilitated the movement of labor and goods so foundational to contemporary international orders. Additionally, the Pacific World has been central to forging modern constructs of race, gender, and sexuality. Con-IH 18 will provide a forum for the discussion of cutting-edge studies that examine the multifaceted histories of the Pacific, and in the process, push the boundaries of international and global history, in terms of both content and methodology.

We welcome submissions that address one or more of the following themes, but the list is suggestive only:
1) Indigeneity and Sovereignty
2) Colonial Encounters and Empire
3) The Economy
4) Decolonization
5) Race, Gender, and Labor
6) War and Militarization
7) Environmental and Climate History

We consider as an integral part of “The Pacific in the World” research that is situated in one or more of the following regions: the Pacific Islands and Oceania, East and Southeast Asia, North and South America, or any other part of the globe in contact with the Pacific Ocean, broadly defined. We especially welcome projects that integrates into Pacific history the areas and actors traditionally overlooked in histories of the Pacific, as well as those that adopt a comparative oceanic lens.

Accepted papers will be grouped for presentation within three or four panels each composed of graduate students and one faculty commentator for each presenter. Participation in Con-IH thus presents an unparalleled opportunity to engage in lively and lengthy discussions with an emerging cohort of researchers-in-training from around the world, as well as with faculty from Harvard and elsewhere.

Graduate students interested in participating in the conference should submit a 300-word proposal and one-page Curriculum Vitae (in either Word or PDF format) to conih@fas.harvard.edu. Proposals must be received by November 15, 2017 in order to be considered. We anticipate being able to reimburse reasonable travel and lodging expenses for all participants. As the date approaches, additional information will be posted on the conference website at con-ih.com.

A 300-word proposal and 1-page CV should be sent to conih@fas.harvard.edu by November 15th, 2017. We expect to notify applicants about the outcome of their submission by mid-December and anticipate being able to reimburse reasonable travel and lodging expenses for conference participants.

Posted in announcements, conferences | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Job Opening: Japanese Language, Literature, and Culture

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Paula

The Asian Studies Program at Bates College, a private liberal arts college located in southern Maine with a rich history of diverse coeducation, invites applications for a tenure–track Assistant Professor position in Japanese language, literature, and culture to begin in Fall 2018.

QUALIFICATIONS

Ph.D. is preferred but ABD candidates will be considered.

Superior proficiency in Japanese and English is required. The Program hopes to appoint a candidate with interests in one or more of the following, considered in terms of their positions within the larger context of East Asia: modern Japanese literature, film, and popular culture. A commitment to teaching language courses, as well as experience in Japanese language pedagogy, are expected. The course load is a 5-course combination of culture and language courses annually. For more information about Asian Studies at Bates, see our webpage (https://www.bates.edu/asian/). The new faculty member has the opportunity to make a key contribution to an innovative and forward-looking Program with majors in Chinese, Japanese, and East Asian Studies.

We welcome applications from individuals capable of contributing to Bates College’s ongoing commitment to social and cultural diversity and inclusiveness. Bates College and the Asian Studies Program are committed to enhancing equity, inclusion and diversity, including our capacity for teaching students from all backgrounds. Faculty members are expected to contribute to these goals, and we expect candidates to identify their strengths and experiences in this area in their cover letter and in their two-page teaching and scholarship statements.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Applicants should submit the following materials: a letter of application (cover letter), two-page teaching and research statements, curriculum vitae, three letters of recommendation (at least one of which speaks to teaching), academic transcripts, and, if available, sample syllabi of relevant courses and recent teaching evaluations. Review of applications begins November 15, 2017, and will continue until the position has been filled. Employment is contingent on successful completion of a background check.

This institution is using Interfolio’s Faculty Search to conduct this search. Applicants to this position receive a free Dossier account and can send all application materials, including confidential letters of recommendation, free of charge.

Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Two Job Openings at Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i

Posted on September 20, 2017 by Travis

Institution: Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai”
Location: Honolulu, HI
Positions: Director of Education; Collections Librarian

The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i is currently seeking applicants for two positions: Director of Education, and Collections Librarian.

Director of Education

The Director of Education will oversee two major programs of the JCCH: Tokioka Heritage Resource Center and JCCH educational programming to inspire and engage children, local residents and visitors.

The Tokioka Heritage Resource Center provides public access to a repository of resources that help fulfill JCCH’s mission to educate present and future generations in the Japanese American experience in Hawai‘i. The collection of resources includes 5,500 books in English and Japanese. Primary source materials include archival collections, oral history transcripts, and a historical photo collection. Other materials include print and digital versions – plus a searchable index – of the Hawai‘i Herald newspaper; vertical file materials of news clippings and pamphlets; and audiovisual materials, including a large collection of old phonograph records of Japanese music popular in Hawai‘i during World War II. The online library catalog includes catalog records for books, archival materials, oral history interviews, and vertical file materials. In addition to the collections, services provided include non-commercial translation services, genealogical research assistance, and a Japanese name consultation service. In recent years, the Resource Center has served as an incubator for projects and initiatives such as the preservation of the Honouliuli Internment Camp which led to JCCH’s effort to establish the Honouliuli National Monument, a film documentary “The Untold Story”; publications such as an English translation of Haisho Tenten by Seikei Furuya; and the development and distribution of high school curricula related to internment in Hawai‘i.

Job Summary: The Director of Education is primarily responsible for the general management of the JCCH Tokioka Heritage Resource Center and provides the vision to develop and lead innovative Resource Center programs and projects. The Director of Education will oversee the Educational and Cultural Specialist to enhance the educational programs for visitors to Okage Sama De (a permanent exhibit on Japanese-American history and life in Hawai’i), Honouliuli National Monument and special projects that advance the preservation, access and/or integration of the Resource Center special collections with JCCH’s historical gallery and educational programs.

Education and Experience:
College degree required plus three years’ experience working in museum, library, foundation or agency collecting and organizing paper documents, photographs, recordings, electronic data, film, video. Preference given to candidates with a graduate degree in Museum Studies or Library Sciences.

For more information, see: http://www.jcch.com/sites/default/files/pictures/images/RCDirectorJD.2017.pdf

….

Collections Librarian

The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i seeks a knowledgeable, motivated, and collaborative individual for the position of Collection Librarian to perform original and complex cataloging for multiple formats, including monographs, newspapers, maps, serials, music and audiovisual material, of specialized materials on the Japanese American experience in Hawai‘i housed in the JCCH Tokioka Heritage Resource Center. This position reports to the Director of Education.

Education/Experience: Graduate degree in Library Sciences. Minimum of 1-2 years of professional experience in a library setting or similar non-profit environment working with collections, cataloging and archiving. Knowledge of relevant cataloging, metadata, and encoding standards, Destiny Library Management System preferred. Experience or general knowledge of Japanese and/or Asian American history. Ability to speak Japanese language is desirable but not required.

For more information, see: http://www.jcch.com/sites/default/files/pictures/images/JD.CATALOGER_0.pdf

Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Call for Papers: Medieval Unfreedoms: Slavery, Servitude, and Trafficking in Humans before the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

Posted on September 19, 2017 by Paula

Medieval Unfreedoms: Slavery, Servitude, and Trafficking in Humans before the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

October 19 – 20, 2018

Across the medieval world (c. 500 — c. 1500), multiple forms and degrees of unfreedom—slavery, serfdom, forced concubinage, coerced labor, captivity, and bondage—co-existed. Slaves and other unfree people made crucial, but often obscured, marks on societies that accorded them varying degrees of power even as they constrained and exploited them. Trade in humans tied together distinct cultural zones, religions, and geographic regions. Shifting definitions of freedom and unfreedom shaped evolving social systems, and helped to shape developing concepts of race, ethnicity, social status, and cultural difference and belonging from Iberia to Ethiopia and from Iceland to Persia and beyond. Scholars have long pondered the decline of an ancient Roman slave society and the legacy of both Roman and late-medieval forms of unfreedom for the emergence of the trans-Atlantic slave trade (and the concomitant transformation of slavery) and of colonial systems of race, power, and government. This interdisciplinary conference, hosted by the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (CEMERS) at Binghamton University, seeks to bring together scholars whose research relates to unfreedom before the advent of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. We hope to foster conversations across traditional disciplinary boundaries about the definitions, cultural significance, and evolution of unfreedom in disparate parts of the medieval world. How does examining conceptions of freedom and unfreedom inform our understanding of medieval cultures? What is the legacy of medieval definitions of liberty and bondage? We particularly welcome comparative perspectives on unfreedom across religious and geographical frontiers.

We invite papers from a variety of disciplinary and methodological perspectives on any topic related to medieval unfreedom, including:

      Forms of unfreedom after the end of ancient slavery and on cultural frontiers

      Unfreedom in the Byzantine, Islamic, and Latin Christian worlds

      Trafficking in humans across political and religious frontiers

      Concepts of humanity, race, ethnicity, religion, and freedom

      Gender, sexuality, and unfreedom

      The interaction between slaving zones and centers of power

      The unfree at royal and aristocratic courts

      Textual and artistic unfreedoms

      Law, rights, and unfree status

      Manumission, social capital, and social mobility

      Varieties of coerced and unfree labor

      Raiding, piracy, and unfreedom

      Resistance and rebellion against bondage

Abstracts for individual papers and for sessions are invited. Papers should be 20 minutes in length. Send abstracts to cemers@binghamton.edu. For information, contact Elizabeth Casteen (ecasteen@binghamton.edu).

Deadline: May 1, 2018

Posted in announcements, conferences, graduate school | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Announcement: Parody, Irony and Ideology in the Fiction of Ihara Saikaku

Posted on September 17, 2017 by Paula

Parody, Irony and Ideology in the Fiction of Ihara Saikaku

David J. Gundry, University of California, Davis

The first monograph published in English on Ihara Saikaku’s fiction, David J. Gundry’s lucid, compelling study examines the tension reflected in key works by Edo-period Japan’s leading writer of ‘floating world’ literature between the official societal hierarchy dictated by the Tokugawa shogunate’s hereditary status-group system and the era’s de facto, fluid, wealth-based social hierarchy. The book’s nuanced, theoretically engaged explorations of Saikaku’s narratives’ uses of irony and parody demonstrate how these often function to undermine their own narrators’ intermittent moralizing. Gundry also analyzes these texts’ depiction of the fleeting pleasures of love, sex, wealth and consumerism as Buddhistic object lessons in the illusory nature of phenomenal reality, the mastery of which leads to a sort of enlightenment.

http://www.brill.com/products/book/parody-irony-and-ideology-fiction-ihara-saikaku

Posted in announcements, culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Job Opening: Assistant Professor of East Asian History, Kenyon College

Posted on September 16, 2017 by Paula

Institution: Kenyon College
Location: Ohio, United States
Position: Assistant Professor, Tenure Track Faculty

Kenyon College, a highly selective, liberal arts college in central Ohio, invites applications for a tenure track position in East Asian history, beginning 1 July 2018. 

The History Department at Kenyon College invites applications for a tenure-track position in East Asian History beginning July 1, 2018.  Period and region of specialization within East Asia and East Asian languages of research are open.  Candidates should be prepared to teach introductory surveys on modern and premodern East Asia, and upper-level seminars in their area of expertise or interest.  Other courses are open to the specific interests of the applicant.   Specialists on China, Japan, or Korea who understand East Asia in a transnational context are especially welcome.

The successful candidate will hold the James P. Storer Chair in Asian History, which includes funding for research and library acquisitions and the expectation of teaching four courses per year. In addition to maintaining an active research agenda and contributing to the curriculum of the History Department, the holder of the chair is also expected to promote awareness of East Asia across campus through engagement with students and faculty in the Asian and Middle East Studies Program, the International Studies Program, and other campus endeavors.

The History Department is comprised of a dozen historians with diverse thematic and geographic specializations (including two other Asianists), and values both excellence in undergraduate education and high quality research.

Candidates should have a record of excellent teaching and a Ph.D. in hand or be near completion by the beginning of the appointment (July 2018).

Applications should include (1) a letter of application, (2) a C.V., (3) graduate school transcript, (4) teaching statement, (5) three letters of recommendation, and (6) a writing sample.

To apply, candidates should visit the online application site found at http://careers.kenyon.edu.  Review of applications will begin on December 1 and will continue until the position is filled.

Kenyon College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the College’s policy to evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental disability, age, religion, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by institutional policy or state, local, or federal law.

Compensation and Benefits

Salaries at Kenyon are competitive and are commensurate with experience. There are a number of faculty development opportunities (e.g. travel, research funds, etc.) for which appointees are eligible.

In addition to an attractive salary, Kenyon offers benefits for employees and their family members. Children of employees are eligible for 100% tuition waivers at Kenyon, and through the Great Lakes Colleges Association, children of employees are eligible for 85% tuition waivers at fifteen other of the nation’s finest liberal arts colleges.

We also offer health and dental insurance, TIAA/CREF retirement, and many other benefits, including provisions for a spouse, families, and domestic partners. Details about benefits as well as conditions of employment are described more fully in our Faculty Handbook.

All questions should be directed to Prof. Stephen Volz, Chair, East Asia History Search (volzs@kenyon.edu).

Contact:All questions should be directed to Prof. Stephen Volz, Chair, East Asia History Search (volzs@kenyon.edu).Website: http://careers.kenyon.edu/

Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fun Link Friday: Robotic Fish

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Paula

Although I’m quite late to the game on this one, on Twitter I stumbled across video of robotic fish developed in Japan and promptly ended up down a rabbit hole searching for video after video of these adorable and bizarre little buggers.

News Hub reported back in 2016 on the development of these fish by a Japanese company, Airo, and several other outlets have also been delighted by this, and I even stumbled across a website devoted to robotic fish. Who knew? There’s also videos of these fish being used to see underwater, which makes me wonder about the possibilities for deep dives into the ocean depths. Even South Korea is in on this robotic fish game, though I’m not so inclined to have their versions with spooky lit up eyes for a pet…

Take an hour off from your usual social media feed and get lost in the peaceful wiggles in the water. Happy Friday!

 

Posted in culture, fun links | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Job Opening: East Asian Buddhist Studies

Posted on September 14, 2017 by Paula

RECRUITMENT PERIOD

Open September 6th, 2017 through October 31st, 2017

DESCRIPTION

East Asian Buddhist Studies Position 2018-19:

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE, Irvine, CA 92697-6000. The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures invites applications for an assistant professor tenure track position in East Asian Buddhist Studies, to begin teaching in Fall 2018. Teaching responsibilities will include lectures and seminars at the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as courses offered through the Program in Religious Studies. Candidates should also expect to advise graduate students in their area of expertise. The department values interdisciplinary approaches to research and teaching: we prefer a scholar whose research intersects with departmental research interests in gender, environmental studies, visual studies, theater and ritual performance, colonial studies, or translation; and who can teach materials from the Buddhist traditions of at least two regions in East Asia (i.e., China and Japan, Japan and Korea, or China and Korea). Qualifications: Ph.D. in Religion or East Asian Studies or related field with a specialization in Buddhism.

The department will begin reviewing applications November 1, 2017. Applications should be submitted electronically at https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/apply/JPF04259.

Candidates should submit a cover letter; a statement that describes research and teaching interests; a statement on teaching philosophy; a statement addressing how past and/or potential contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion will advance UC Irvine’s commitment to inclusive excellence; a current CV; and 3 letters of recommendation. The University of California, Irvine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to excellence through diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy.

Please direct questions about the electronic submission procedure to Michelle Hu (mahu@uci.edu) and any other questions about the search to Search Committee Chair, Susan Blakeley Klein (sbklein@uci.edu). To learn more about the Department, visit our website at http://www.humanities.uci.edu/eastasian/.

Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Job Opening: Professor of the History of the Modern East Asia, Missouri State University

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Paula

Institution: Missouri State University, History Department
Location:   Missouri, United States
Position:   Assistant Professor of the History of the Modern East Asia

~~The History Department at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO invites applications for a Tenure Track Assistant Professor of the History of the Modern East Asia (19th and 20th Century).  Area of specialty is open but the candidate must demonstrate an ability and willingness to teach the East Asian survey courses and upper level courses in East Asian History broadly in both geographical and chronological scope.  The successful candidate will also teach sections of World History and graduate courses in their area of specialty.  Candidates must also demonstrate a commitment to an ongoing research agenda in Modern Asian History.  Ph.D. must be completed within one year of initial appointment.  To apply, please submit a cover letter, curriculum vita, three confidential letters of recommendation and a syllabus in World History from 1600 and an upper-level course in East Asian History.

All application material, including letters of recommendation, must be submitted electronically at:  http://jobs.missouristate.edu/postings/35316.  First date of consideration is October 16 with the position remaining open until filled.  Employment will require a criminal background check at University expense.  Questions should be directed to the search committee chair, Dr. F.T. Miller (FTMiller@MissouriState.edu).  Missouri State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action/minority/female/veterans/ disability/sexual orientation/gender identity employer and institution.  We encourage applications from all interested minorities, females, veterans, individuals with disabilities and sexual orientation/gender identity.

Contact:

~~To apply, please submit a cover letter, curriculum vita, three confidential letters of recommendation and a syllabus in World History from 1600 and an upper-level course in East Asian History.  All application material, including letters of recommendation, must be submitted electronically at:  http://jobs.missouristate.edu/postings/35316. 

First date of consideration is October 16 with the position remaining open until filled.  Employment will require a criminal background check at University expense.  Questions should be directed to the search committee chair, Dr. F.T. Miller (FTMiller@MissouriState.edu).

Missouri State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action/minority/female/veterans/ disability/sexual orientation/gender identity employer and institution.  We encourage applications from all interested minorities, females, veterans, individuals with disabilities and sexual orientation/gender identity.

Website: http://jobs.missouristate.edu/postings/35316

Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Call for Papers: Workshop: Layers of Interpretation – Commentarial Practices Throughout Buddhist Textual Traditions

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Paula

The Doctoral Program in Buddhist Studies at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München is pleased to announce a call for papers for the workshop “Layers of Interpretation – Commentarial Practices Throughout Buddhist Textual Traditions,” to be held on June 15-16, 2018 in Munich, Germany, with keynote addresses by Prof. Rupert Gethin (University of Bristol) and Prof. Alexander Mayer (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign).

We invite applications from both established and early career scholars, including PhD students.

The deadline for applications is November 15, 2017.

For the cfp, please click here:
http://www.buddhismus-studien.uni-muenchen.de/aktuelles/cfp_workshop/cfp_workshop_2018.pdf
http://www.en.buddhismus-studien.uni-muenchen.de/currentissues/cfp_workshop2018/index.html

Posted in announcements, conferences, graduate school | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment