“Logic” of Our Age: The Individual and Society in the Market’s Grasp
 

CALL FOR PAPERS

International Political Economy Conference series began with the theme “Adam Smith Today” in 2009, which was followed by “Crisis and Development” in 2010, “Labour Markets and Employment” in 2011, and “Flexibility” in 2012. The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Central Bank of Turkey, Isbank, Kocaeli Chamber of Industry, Greatest Municipality of Kocaeli, United Metal Workers’ Union, Union of Petroleum Chemical and Rubber Workers of Turkey, Turkey Cooperatives, Commerce and Office Workers' Union, Turkey’s Hotel, Restaurant and Entertainment Workers’ Trade Union, Union of Cement, Glass, Earthen-ware and Ceramic Industry Workers, Union of Tobacco, Alcoholic Beverage, Food and Related Industry Workers of Turkey and Public Services International (PSI) provided financial support.

Fifth conference will be held in Kocaeli on 23-24 October 2013 and the theme has been determined as “‘Logic’ of Our Age: The Individual and Society in the Market’s Grasp”. Conference will be co-organized by Kocaeli University (Turkey), University of Westminster (England), Silesian University in Opava (Czech Republic), Institute for Economic & Social Research of Piedmont (IRES, Italy), Ostrava Technical University (Czech Republic), Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (Lima, Peru) and supported by Turkish Social Sciences Association, The Journal of Industrial Relations and Human Resources (ISGUC.ORG), Work & Society Journal, International Journal of Politics & Economics (England), Research in Political Economy (USA), Academia Social Sciences Index (ASOS Index) and IJOPEC Publishing (London - Istanbul)

This year’s conference aims to revisit neoliberalism as a discourse by focusing on the new mindset it has created to understand the world in the last few decades. During this process, while resource allocation has been left to the market dynamics, on the basis of the idea of efficiency, social preferences have been shaped by the supply-demand mechanism rather than by politics. The rightist mind, which has always been sceptical of reason, used to consider traditions; now the New Right relies merely on the market. While a sense of solidarity has been abandoned even in the basic realms of life, decision making mechanisms have been increasingly based upon market logic. Though it is open to all areas of investigation, the focal point of the conference will be to explore the logic of the New Right in all realms of society. Rather than discussing neoliberalism within the limits of debates related to governmentality, hegemony and ideology, and only in terms of economics, this conference intends to generate a ground through which the new mind-set of the neoliberal age is explored as the driving force in overall transformation of the individual and society. The new mentality has been ingrained in the individual and society so deeply that it needs to be deciphered and discussed within all possible paths.

Other related topics and session proposals are welcomed as they would enrich the conference and expand the ground for further discussion. The language of the conference will be both Turkish and English. Abstracts and session proposals should be around 300 words, in Word format and 12 fonts, include paper title, the name(s) and full address (mail address, affiliated institution, e-mail, phone and fax) of the author(s), the purpose and the method of the work, expected results and suggestions, be submitted by September 1st, 2013, electronically submit to www.icopec.org/submit.html. Detailed information regarding the conference can be reached at www.icopec.org

The presentations are expected to cover, but not limited to, the following issues:

ECONOMICS AND FINANCE
New financial architecture
Financial globalization
Capital Markets and the new order
Crisis and deregulation
New economy
Political economy of Capital Flows
Transformation of Capital Accumulation Models
Neoliberal Economic Policies
Changes and Transformation in Economic Policies
Neoliberalism and Crisis
Macroeconomics and Globalization
“New” Economics

STATE, POLITICS AND URBANIZATON
The commodification of Nature
Reason, Religion and Philosophy
Logic of education/discipline through unemployment/ job insecurity
Rise of market morality
Market as a source of justice
Postmodern "new conservatism"
New forms of authoritarianism
New right ways of thinking for religious modernization
Contemporary ways of constructing legitimacy
Political decision-making under the market domination
Anti-Politics and Lack of interest for politics
New Legal Regulations and Urban Transformation Market
Structure the Protection of Urban Historical / Cultural Heritage
Urban Social Justice, Rights of the Others in the City
Urban Opposition and Participation
Globalization and Global Urban / Cities in the Global-Local Relations
Reconstruction of Urban Identity and Memory
Environment and Development in the Sustainability Paradigm
Public interest and public services under the market domination

LABOR, EMPLOYMENT AND WORK:
Market-society tension and conservative social policy
Marketization of social insurance and social security
Marketization of labour relations
Flexible employment and unemployment
Practices of subcontracting and outsourcing
Transformation of social security: from social solidarity to individualization
Market, competition and union rights
Marketization of workers’ health and safety at work
Old and new actors within the politics of social welfare
Rethinking the state, market, family and the third sector
Social assistance policies and practices
New social risks and social exclusion
Changing dynamics of solidarity and collective social movements
The New Right, poverty and social protection
Conservatism, women’s employment and the role of the state
Rethinking migration through the new dynamics of the market
New dimensions in discrimination
Labour law as an instrument of the market

CONFLICT, TRANSITION AND HEGEMONY
The Previous Eastern Block, new markets
Arab spring
Crimes against humanity
War crimes
Hegemony: International relations and international law
Women, society and power