Call for contributions:
TRANSFORMING POLITICS IN SPAIN: LOCAL, REGIONAL AND STATE-WIDE PERSPECTIVES
Foresight Centre, University of Liverpool, UK
7th June 2016
Workshop supported by the University Association for Contemporary European Studies, Aberystwyth University and the University of Liverpool
Organisers: Dr. Anwen Elias (Aberystwyth University) and Prof. Richard Gillespie (Liverpool University)
The workshop aims to examine the transformation of local, regional and state-wide politics in Spain in recent years, which has seen many established political parties lose electoral support and government office and the growth of new and previously marginal political actors advocating a radically different way of doing and talking about politics. The recent indecisive general election in Spain is the latest evidence of the existence of basic change both in the party system and in the political forces that aim to have a structural impact affecting Spain’s future. Spain is not the only country undergoing such drastic political change. However, it does appear to face a more complex and daunting challenge than other European countries as it seeks to respond to three key drivers of political change: the economic crisis, a territorial crisis as a result of the Catalan challenge to the integrity of the Spanish state (and its European/EU ramifications), and a political crisis characterised by widespread disillusionment with existing political institutions and actors.
The workshop will draw on multi-disciplinary perspectives to begin to better understand the political changes currently being played out in Spain. It has two specific goals. Firstly, it aims to analyse the key drivers and features of political change in Spain, and the broader implications for Spanish democracy. Secondly, it aims to evaluate the significance of these developments from a broader (particularly southern) European perspective.
The workshop will bring together scholars from different disciplinary perspectives to begin discussion in conjunction with practitioners, in order to map out a research agenda to address fundamental aspects of Spain’s current transformation. We invite scholars to present their on-going research around the following broad themes:
1: Spain’s Territorial, Economic and Political Crises: the workshop aims to examine the different drivers of political change in Spain, which include: the economic crisis, a territorial crisis as a result to the Catalan challenge to the integrity of the Spanish state (and its European/EU ramifications), and a political crisis characterised by widespread disillusionment with existing political institutions and actors.
2: Old and New Party Politics in Spain: we are interested in contributions that compare and contrast the discursive and organisational strategies of different political actors in response to Spain’s multiple crises, and which consider the extent to which these have transformed the form and focus of political mobilisation in Spain.
3: Political Transformation and the Governance of Spain: contributions should consider the implications of the rise and fall of different political actors for the political legitimacy, economic prosperity and constitutional integrity of the Spanish state (analysed both separately and in a wider European perspective).
Scholars interested in contributing to the workshop should submit a 200 word abstract to Dr. Anwen Elias (awe@aber.ac.uk) and Prof. Richard Gillespie (Richard.Gillespie@liverpool.ac.uk) by Monday 25th April 2016. Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their submission by Friday 29th April 2016.
We will give priority to academics and post-graduate students presenting research in progress, and selected participants will be expected to circulate a 800-1000 word position paper in advance of the workshop. There may be an opportunity to develop these position papers into full-length articles for publication as part of a journal special issue after the workshop.
Anyone interested in attending the workshop without presenting any research should contact the workshop organisers for more information.
Contributions towards the travel and accommodation expenses of post-graduate students are available.
