Conveners: Johanna Gehmacher and Elizabeth Harvey

Venue: German Historical Institute London

Conference organised by the German Historical Institute London in conjunction with the London School of Economics and the Gerda Henkel Foundation.

The spread and diversification of civil societies that took place in many industrialised countries from the late 19th century onwards had an important transnational dynamic. International and transnational movements and networks developed in dense interaction with national movements, connecting them, sometimes also initiating them, and providing them with concepts, models, and strategies. These relations of exchange, regional and global, would not have worked without the help of a set of cultural practices that were frequently gendered. They often remained invisible even at the time and have tended to be overlooked by historical research subsequently.

A focus on these gendered practices can deepen the analysis of a vital aspect of transnational movements and networks. It enables us to explore how these practices shaped notions of gender and of women’s agency. The conference, therefore, aims at gathering and connecting research on transnational women’s movements as well as on gendered practices of transfer in other transnational non-governmental organisations and informal networks. It will, among other things, explore similarities and differences between practices of transfer and exchange in different transnational political milieus. It will discuss transformations in the practices of transfer as well as gendered discourses on the meaning of transnational networking.

There are a limited number of participant/discussant places available on a first come, first served basis. Expressions of interest should be emailed to Carole Sterckx () by Friday 6 December 2019. Please note that (free of charge) advance registration is mandatory and that participants will have to make their own travel arrangements.

Conference programme (PDF file)