Call for Papers
Critical Legal Studies: Ideology and Objectivity in Law
A Panel Discussion at the Sixth International Literature and Humanities =
Conference,
Inscriptions in the Sand: an arts and culture conference and festival
at Eastern Mediterranean University
in Famagusta, on the island of Cyprus
May 30-June 1, 2003
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The Critical Legal Studies (CLS) movement that crystallized in the =
United States in the late 1970s and 1980s brought together aspects of =
European social theories (Marx, Weber, Gramsci, the Frankfurt school, =
etc.), French post-structuralism and literary theory (Foucault, =
Derrida), and various threads of North American jurisprudence=97in =
particular the legal realism of the New Deal era, which argued against =
the formal artificiality of legal case precedents and in favor of =
informed judgments based on the contextualization of law as social =
policy.
Arguing that law (with its attendant institutions and representatives) =
is not neutral or objective, but legitimizes the prejudicial power =
relations and hierarchical structures of class, economics, gender, and =
race in the society by which it is itself determined, legitimized and =
maintained, the various branches of CLS have engaged in critiques of the =
law understood as narrative or as a rhetorical-ideological =
construct=97with a view to demystifying and dismantling the social =
structures of injustice which inform its doctrines and policies.
Although CLS developed in a specifically North American =
context, many of its premises and questions have gradually filtered into =
European and international law; the island of Cyprus, entangled in =
decades of international power games, political/religious intrigue and =
legal wrangling, presents itself as a fitting venue for debating some of =
the problems and promises of the law in its relation to lived experience =
in a global context:
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=97 what points of intersection exist between literary and legal =
judgments?
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=97 what defines, delimits, or authorizes the will of the mysterious =
=93international community=94 which is frequently invoked in various =
contexts as grounds for international military or political action?
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=97 what determines the relations between the politics of nations, the =
law of nations, and justice or fairness?
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=97 by what logic do treaties, agreements, obligations and promises =
retain legal force if the historical, social, and political =
circumstances under which they were made have changed?
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=97 to what extent, if any, can the engagement of Derridean =
deconstruction or versions of =93postmodernism=94 with legal theory =
result in the development of norms for social change and development?=20
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=97 does law require moral justification in normative terms (Habermas) =
or is it an autopoietic system requiring no normative justification =
(Luhmann)?
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Submissions are invited for a Panel Discussion exploring any of these =
questions or others related to CLS, including its ramifications for =
European and International Law, and the situation of Cyprus.=20
Prospective panelists are invited to send 250-word abstracts/proposals =
for 15-20 minute presentations on any aspect of these areas to =
johann.pillai@emu.edu.tr or rodney.sharkey@emu.edu.tr by 30 October, =
2002. We look forward to learning about your research, and to a =
provocative discussion.
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For more information about Inscriptions in the Sand,=20
please visit our website at http://www.emu.edu.tr/elh/index_confer.html =
Please also check out our links to =93Individual Research =
Presentations=94 and =93Creative/Performance Work.=94
===============================================
From the Literary Calls for Papers Mailing List
CFP@english.upenn.edu
Full Information at
http://www.english.upenn.edu/CFP/
or write Erika Lin: elin@english.upenn.edu
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