Dirty Work

A call for proposals for the Southern Labor Studies Association’s Biennial Meeting

Where: The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
When: May 17-19, 2018

The Southern Labor Studies Association invites academics, activists, archivists, and others to propose panels, roundtables, and workshops for our next conference, which will take place at the Richard B. Russell Library at the University of Georgia. The theme of the 2018 conference is “Dirty Work.” This topic encompasses southern industries (mining, timber, turpentine, farming, chicken processing, catfish, etc.); the service economy (trash collection, domestic service, nursing, food service, etc.); bound labor (slavery, indenture, and prison labor); as well as work deemed morally “dirty” – from sex work and drug-selling to policing and overseeing. Panels discussing public history, archival projects, teaching, oral history, activism, important works in progress, and digital history are welcome. Southern labor studies topics outside the “Dirty Work” rubric are welcome too. The SLSA defines southern labor and working class studies broadly. We welcome historical and contemporary topics, all relevant academic disciplines, non-academic participants, and regional as well as comparative and transnational approaches. Our hope is to assemble a broad and diverse set of participants on a wide range of subjects.

Session proposals should include an abstracts of the plan for the session (100-300 words) plus abstracts for individual participants’ papers if papers will be presented. Please include 100 or so- word biographical statements.

The deadline for submitting proposals is August 1, 2017.

Email proposals and other queries to:

Cindy Hahamovitch (cxhaha@uga.edu)
Phinizy Spalding Distinguished Professor of History
Department of History
The University of Georgia
LeConte Hall
250 Baldwin Street
Athens, GA 30601