Late-Ottoman Identities: the National, Transnational, and Marginal (Workshop)

The annual “Identities in the Middle East Workshop,” organized and hosted by the Institute of Near Eastern and African Studies at Charles University, will be inaugurated with a two day deliberation on late-Ottoman identities. The aim of the workshop is for participants to gain a profound awareness of the conceptualizations and manifestations of individual, communal, national, and transnational identities in the last century of the Ottoman Empire.Participants are expected to actively engage in discussions generated by a set of common readings.

Content of the Workshop:
The first day of the workshop, chaired by Hasan Kayalı, will open with theoretical considerations of identity and belonging and case studies that reveal particular complexities of identity among peoples of the late Empire. The second day’s sessions will consider alternative perspectives and will be divided between a session on transnational identities, chaired by Ebru Akcasu, and marginal identities, chaired by Stefano Taglia. The transnational session will evaluate notions of belonging to the Ottoman state from the perspective of foreigners, both Ottomans abroad and non-Ottomans within the dominions. The session on marginals will analyze the relationship between the state and groups engaged in nonconformal behaviors, such as drug addicts, prostitutes, and alcohol drinkers, to reflect on the state’s role as service provider and its expectations of individuals as modern citizens. The workshop will conclude by carrying the conversation about identity into the post- Ottoman era and will assess the balance sheet of the (active) dissolution of multi-faceted Ottoman identities in the states that emerged from Ottoman territories. The closing session will be chaired by Hasan Kayalı.

Eligibility and Application:
This workshop is designed for doctoral students and early-career academics (i.e., those who have received their degrees within the last 5 years). To apply, please email your curriculum vitae and a 500-word statement of how this workshop is relevant and useful to your current research to: katarina.palcova@ff.cuni.cz

The subject line of the email should clearly indicate that it is an application for the “Late- Ottoman Identities Workshop.”

The deadline for applications is 7 July 2018. Successful candidates will be notified by 20 July 2018.

Funding may be provided for applicants whose home institutions do not cover travel and/or accommodation expenses. Please indicate in the application whether this applies to you. Requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Workshop Schedule:
Friday, 12th October, 2018 (Faculty of Arts, Charles University)
Chair: Hasan Kayalı
10:00 – 13:00 Identity and belonging in the late Ottoman Empire
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch break
14:30 – 17:30 Case studies

Saturday, 13th October, 2018 (Faculty of Arts, Charles University)
Chair: Ebru Akcasu (morning session) & Stefano Taglia (afternoon session)
10:00 – 13:00 Transnational identities in the late Ottoman Empire
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch break
14:30 – 17:30 Marginals as citizens in the late Ottoman Empire
18:00 – 18:30 Closing Remarks chaired by Hasan Kayalı