While the Great Recession triggered a global contagion unmatched in severity since the 1930s, unlike the depression and post-War years the legitimacy of capitalism (and neoliberalism) has not been seriously called into question. Rather than fundamentally challenging the logic of capital, most “solutions” to the crisis have been premised on more regulation and oversight amidst the admission of moral hazard. Solutions and the meaning of change have been squarely encapsulated to accommodate the needs of capital and its state, rather than seek to transcend it. Indeed, for all the talk of ‘crisis’ there remains a profound pessimism among many seeking to realize a better world. Despite isolated acts of resistance, it is clear that the working class is today more fragmented and alienated than at any point since the Great Depression. Arguably, however, the need for a renewed socialist project is greater today than perhaps ever.

The Critical Social Research Collaborative is seeking panel discussions that examine historical and contemporary models of socialism, as well as presentations that aim to rekindle the socialist imagination, while charting new pathways. Proposals may include, but are not limited to:

Theoretical & Methodological Reassessments

Legacies of 20th Century Socialism

Socialism & Democracy

Socialist & Intersectional Analyses: Anti-Racist, Feminist and Ecological Interventions

Challenging Intellectualism & Anti-Intellectualism

Arts & Culture

Digital Media & Communication

New Socialist Movements: Building 21st Century Socialism

Labour & New Forms of Organizational Expression

Trade Union Organizing: History, Transformation and Change

Please send your proposal, including an abstract of no more than 300 words, title, brief biography and three keywords that describe your project to the conference committee at CSRCproject@live.ca. Accepted submissions may be solicited for inclusion in a forthcoming peer-reviewed anthology. Deadline for proposals is January 15th 2011. Decisions will be made by the end of January.

Keynote Address by Paresh Chattopadhyay, Université du Québec à Montréal

The CRITICAL SOCIAL RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE (CSRC) is an interdisciplinary research unit comprised of faculty, graduate students, trade union and community activists based at Carleton University. For information on past events, conferences and online presentations, please visit us at www.CSRCproject.ca