The Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History
"The Politics of Knowledge in Universities and the State"Workshop planned for 2011-12
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We aim to convene a multidisciplinary group of intellectual and cultural historians, historians of higher education and the natural and human sciences, sociologists of knowledge, scholars from science and technology studies, students of American political development and political theory, and others in relevant fields of inquiry. The workshop will explore the intersection of knowledge production with political thought and practice, focusing on key institutional sites in higher education and government. How has the authority, and possibly the content, of knowledge been shaped by these political contexts? How have intellectuals engaged with the state and what have been the consequences for public policy and the production of knowledge? How have the institutional politics of universities intersected with the politics of the state? Does it even make sense to speak of “knowledge” and “politics” as distinct entities, or are interpretive frameworks such as “construction,” “co-production,” or “power/knowledge” more appropriate? The workshop will also offer participants an opportunity to think systematically about the historically and socially situated nature of their own scholarly endeavors. We welcome applications for comparative and transnational projects that take North American developments as a point of departure.
Fellows will participate in a seminar led by Andrew Jewett (History Department) and Julie Reuben (School of Education), presenting their work and discussing that of invited speakers. Applicants may not be degree candidates and should have a Ph.D. or equivalent. Fellows are Harvard University members with library access, and receive a private office which they must use for at least the nine-month academic year. Stipends are individually determined in accordance with each fellow’s needs and the Center’s resources. The Center encourages applications, otherwise consistent with the Workshop theme, relating to the nation’s life during and as a consequence of wars, and from qualified applicants who can contribute, through their research and service, to the diversity and excellence of Harvard’s academic community. Application deadline: January 15, 2011. Decisions announced: early March. Obtain an application from the Center (Emerson Hall 400, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138) or our web site.
