Everyday Politics in North Korea:
Understanding, Tracking, and Theorizing Change
PI: Alexander Dukalskis, University College Dublin
Funded by: Korea Foundation
Summary
This is a call for paper proposals for a small workshop to be held in Dublin, Ireland on the theme of everyday politics in North Korea. Successful applicants will receive funding for travel, accommodation, and a small honorarium to present a paper and participate in a workshop in Dublin on either October 26–27 or January 28–29 (dates to be decided as the covid-19 situation solidifies). Ultimately the papers will be part of a proposal to a special issue of a journal, so by applying you are committing to producing an academically rigorous paper for the workshop and being willing to include it in the special issue proposal.
Selection criteria
Selection will be made based on the quality of the abstract, the proposed paper’s fit with the other papers, the record of the applicant, and ensuring diversity of the workshop in terms of gender, seniority level, and geography. Currently there is a budget to fund one new participant each coming from Asia, North America, and Europe, but this may change as the airline industry reacts to covid. We welcome applications from scholars at all stages of their career from Ph.D. candidate and onward.
Motivations and content of the workshop
This project is motivated by several key questions. How do changes at the “everyday” level influence authoritarian stability and state-society relations in North Korea? How do they change economic realities and gender relations for North Koreans? Do they change the modes of control that characterize the North Korean state? How do changes influence policy-relevant thinking about engagement with North Korea?
The North Korean government has grappled with numerous changes in its international environment and domestic society. These developments influence the elite cohesion and regime resilience of North Korea and this research aims to understand the nature of these changes, and how the government adapts. These developments provide a useful analytical case to understand how changes in everyday life for citizens of a strictly authoritarian state influence politics. In so doing it is necessary to move beyond existing theoretical accounts of authoritarianism that emphasize elite and institutional perspectives. This project does so by bringing together a diverse group of scholars to discuss and present their research about the linkages between changes in everyday politics and how they interact with authoritarian rule. We are interested in academically rigorous proposals that address any aspect of this theme and are open as to the methods and theories used.
To apply
Please send an abstract (maximum 300 words) and an updated CV to Mr. Junhyoung Lee at junhyoung.lee@ucdconnect.ie by Friday, July 24. If you are a Ph.D. candidate, please also include a brief letter of support from your Ph.D. supervisor. Please also contact Mr. Lee if you have any further questions.