Université de Rouen Normandie – Groupe de recherche d’Histoire EA 3831. In collaboration with: Universidad Autonoma de Madrid; Università di Napoli Federico II; Università di Napoli L’Orientale; Università di Roma TRE; Universität Wien and with the financial support of the Institut Universitaire de France

Time: 4-7 June 2018
Venue: Université de Rouen, Normandie
Proposals due 1 March 2018

The separation/opposition between a public – and political – space occupied by men and a private – and domestic – space specifically designed for women is a central issue in gender history. This separation has its roots in the classical antiquity opposition between polis and oikos. It was then reasserted and complicated in the last two centuries of European, and more generally Western history, particularly in the context of the political theories of liberalism and the French Revolution.

1. A first approach to this issue is connected with the social history of politics: how was women’s and men’s participation in politics and citizenship defined, and how did it develop, in different historical and geographical contexts?
2. A second approach takes into account the separation between work inside the household (domestic and care work, but also market-oriented production) and work outside the household. It investigates the emergence of the male breadwinner figure, as a consequence, in particular, of the Industrial Revolution. For Medieval and Modern times, the possibility for women of having access to guilds of artisans or merchants should be interpreted as an opportunity to act in the public and political space.
3. A third approach looks at the category of space and examines the various ways in which men and women existed and acted in public and domestic spaces. From a historical point of view, what kinds of cultural, social, and religious issues have prevented women from having access to certain public spaces, and in some cases men from entering into certain domestic spaces? And how have these regulations translated into dress rules and manners?
4. A fourth approach aims at complicating the idea that there exists a clear-cut separation between the public and the private. For instance, we will examine the ‘public’ aspects of the home, such as the fact that it is open on the street, that it is a space for market production, where to incorporate and integrate people coming from the outside, such as apprentices and domestic workers.

These are just a few themes that will be addressed during the Graduate school. During the week, scholars of the partner universities will deliver lectures and Ph.D. students will present their research.

We invite PhD students who wish to participate in the Graduate school and present their on-going research to submit their applications by sending a brief CV (max 150 words) and a short presentation, in French or English, of their dissertation project (maximum 500 words) by 1 March 2018 to anna.bellavitis@univ-rouen.fr.

The languages of the Conference are French and English.

The organizer institutions will provide for food and accommodation, but not for travel expenses.

The Scientific Committee will evaluate the proposals. Acceptance notices will be sent by April 1, 2018. Accepted papers must be sent in by May 15, 2018

Scientific Committee: Ludivine Bantigny (GRHis-Université de Rouen Normandie), Peter Becker (Universität Wien), Anna Bellavitis (GRHis-Université de Rouen Normandie), Elisabetta Bini (Università di Napoli Federico II), Daniela Luigia Caglioti (Università di Napoli Federico II), Carmen de la Guardia (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid), Florencia Peyrou (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid), Margaret Lanzinger (Universität Wien), Roberta Modugno (Università di Roma TRE), Domenico Rizzo (Università di Napoli L’Orientale), Emma Sarno (Università di Napoli L’Orientale).