Workshop ‘Future Thinking and Practices in Premodern Economy, Society, and Culture’

The organisers of the workshop ‘Future Thinking and Practices in Premodern Economy, Society, and Culture’, to be held at the University of Antwerp on 23 and 24 November 2023, call for additional papers, exclusively for (max. 6) participants of Dutch National Research Schools (in addition to other participants already invited).

This November, The ‘Back to the Future’ research team organises a two-day international workshop that welcomes PhD students who deal with past futures from social, cultural and socioeconomic perspectives to apply. Focus is the pre-modern world. The organisation aims to unite diverse perspectives on the history of the time to come. To create a collaborative platform where various ideas converge, researchers from European universities outside of the Benelux will participate as well.

This workshop forms part of the research project ‘Back to the Future. Future Expectations and Actions in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe, c.1400-c.1830’ at the Centre for Urban History of the University of Antwerp. The event is also made possible by contributins from the Huizinga Institute and the N.W. Posthumus Institute.

Theme and content

Conducting research on historical future thinking and practice sheds light on how people in the past conceptualised and coped with what lay ahead. Exploring this facet offers insights into how individual and societal perspectives, aspirations, and concerns were projected onto the future.

In recent decades, the theme of time, temporality and the future has gained significant popularity within various academic disciplines. Understanding how different cultures and eras perceive and manipulate time enhances our comprehension of historical context. It enables us to grasp how people structured their narratives of development, anticipated change and grappled with uncertainty.

Programme

The event offers a platform for PhD students to showcase their work through 25 to 30-minute presentations, followed by engaging group discussions. Each PhD participant will give a presentation and participate in the round table discussions. 1.5 hours are reserved for every two attendees, ensuring a thoughtful and engaging experience. The tentative programme can be found below:

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