Call for proposals – "America Unfinished"

Alberto Benvenuti Announcement
Subject Fields
American History / Studies, Contemporary History, Diplomacy and International Relations, Political Science, Social Sciences

USAbroad – Journal of American History and Politics is pleased to announce its first call for proposals: papers should discuss the idea of “America Unfinished” from different perspectives. With this expression, we are pointing to the never-ending process of social and political reinvention of the American nation regarding the following main subjects:

  • Government and institutional developments
  • Cultural heritage and political thought
  • Foreign policy and international relations
  • Economic processes
  • Race and gender relations
  • Class relations

Suitable essays should engage with the twofold meaning of the term “unfinished”, which recalls both the lights (the constantly evolving ability of American citizens and government to reinvent themselves in the face of new historical, national, and international challenges, keeping the promise for a better future) and shadows (racism, sexism, social hierarchies, economic inequality; the “end of the American century”, the post-American world, etc.) of the American nation and nationalism, based on constantly striving for a more “perfectible” Union.

We particularly encourage proposals from Italian PhD students as well as early-career scholars. Applicants are asked to submit an abstract of approximately 500 words, along with a résumé including their main publications, by March 30, 2017.

All abstracts should be sent by e-mail to usabroad@unibo.it

By April 17, 2017 applicants will be notified of the editorial team’s selection. Please note that a final version of all accepted essays must be submitted by July 16, 2017.

Contact Information

Alberto Benvenuti holds an MA in American Studies and a PhD in Contemporary History from the University of Florence. His research interests focus mainly on African American history, US-Cuba relations and the intersections between race and politics during the Cold War. He is writing on US social movements - such as Black Lives Matter - for several Italian journals and newspapers. He is currently working at INDIRE (the Italian National Institute for Documentation, Innovation, Research and Youth Work).

Contact Email
usabroad@unibo.it