Asia-Pacific Economic and Business History Conference
13-15 February 2014, University of Waikato, Hamilton (New Zealand)
Organised with the support of the Waikato Management School in collaboration with the Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand
Theme: Economic consequences of war and conflict
Call for Papers
Papers and proposals for sessions are invited for the APEBH 2014 conference. The main conference theme is ‘Economic consequences of war and conflict’ but the organisers welcome proposals for contributions on other topics in economic, social, and business history, as well as to proposals for sessions on particular themes.
Researchers across a broad range of disciplines are warmly welcomed. Early career researchers are encouraged to participate. The conference organisers are particularly interested in attracting papers that examine topics in the context of the Asia-Pacific region and papers that provide an international comparative perspective.
In 2014 the world remembers the start of World War I in July 1914. The four years of war during 1914-1918 left their mark on the economies of the countries involved in the conflict, but also the countries that were not involved in the war experienced economic consequences that lasted at least several years. Although warfare was largely concentrated in Europe, Asia felt the effects of reduced shipping connections and disrupted supply lines, as well as reduced civilian production in warring countries. Since then, economies around the word have been affected by other major wars and local conflicts.
Joshua Goldstein’s entry ‘War and Economic History’ in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History discussed the main issues relevant to this theme: Wars are expensive (in money and other resources), destructive (of capital and human capital), and disruptive (of trade, resource availability, labour management). Large wars constitute severe shocks to the economies of participating countries. Notwithstanding some positive aspects of short-term stimulation and long-term destruction and rebuilding, war generally impedes economic development and undermines prosperity.
What has been the comparative experience of such countries, their economies, companies and citizens? Were wars and conflict a source of new economic activity, and new technological development. Or did these advances fail to weigh up against the losses of people and capital and the disruption to business systems? How did product and factor markets fare during wars, conflicts and recovery? What are the lessons from comparative approaches to analysing such periods of war, conflict, hardship and opportunity?
Our theme could be approached from a number of perspectives, including those of the cliometrician, the economic historian, the economic theorist, the business historian, the applied economist, as well as the social historian. There is ample scope for new interpretations, new findings, as well as syntheses of existing work.
All abstracts, proposals for sessions, papers for refereeing, and papers for posting on the conference website should be emailed to all three members of the Programme Committee of the conference before 30 November 2013:
- A/Professor Jim McAloon, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand: Jim.McAloon@vuw.ac.nz
- A/Professor Ken Jackson, University of Auckland, New Zealand: k.jackson@auckland.ac.nz
- Dr Keir Reeves, Monash University, Australia: Keir.Reeves@monash.edu
Paper abstracts of one page may be submitted at any time up to the closing date of 30 November 2013. A decision on proposals will be made within a month of submission. Session proposals of one page may be submitted up to the same date, outlining the main objectives of the session and potential participants. You are not obliged to submit your full paper for refereeing. Complete versions of accepted papers should be sent to us by 4 February 2014 for posting on the conference website.
Some universities require staff attending conferences to have their papers refereed. If this is the case in your institution, please submit the full paper by the 30 November 2013 due date for the double blind refereeing process.
A conference paper prize will be awarded. A selection of papers (subject to the normal reviewing process and standards) may be published in Australian Economic History Review: An Asia-Pacific Journal of Economic, Business and Social History.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1467-8446
The web page of the Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand is:
APEBH Conference 2014 