Ephemera Conference - Politics of Consumption

Ephemera Conference

Dublin, Ireland, 9-11 May, 2012.

 

This conference explores the relationships between consumption, accumulation, production, reproduction and politics today. Taking the apparent generalisation of conditions of austerity as an opportunity to re-visit longer ongoing debates surrounding the extra-economic nature of commodity consumption, and its complex relationship to commodity production, the conference asks whether traditional conceptualisations of the politics of consumption require revision. What empirical developments have become crucial? What theories remain helpful? What political mobilisations have become inevitable? The conference gathers together leading figures for the sake of debating and contesting such issues. The conference also forms the basis of a special issue of ephemera: theory and politics in organization - please read the call for papers for more information.

With less than three months to go until the opening of the event we are delighted to confirm Professors Ben Fine and Costas Douzinas as our keynote speakers. We are also proud to be running a series of provocative round-table discussions and paper streams, as well as an Excess and Austerity walking tour of Dublin City, as part of the event. More information will be posted online at the beginning of April. Places at the conference are severely limited so please pay the registration fee (€100 for waged delegates, €50 for non-waged delegates) as soon as possible but no later than the 15th of March. Payments and registration can be arranged by contacting any of the organizers.

Venue and getting there

The conference will take place at the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 63 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 (see Google Map). Conveniently located at the heart of Georgian Dublin, this is a fitting venue for the conference theme, both because Ireland has taken centre stage within contemporary debates concerning compulsive excessiveness and retributive austerity, and also by virtue of the fact that cultural and historical nationalism has become a principal foundation of the contemporary politics of consumption. Visit the Society’s website for more information (http://www.rsai.ie/index.cfm).

Dublin’s City Centre is a 30-45 minute bus ride from Dublin airport. The easiest way of getting there is to take the 747 bus to the city centre (€6): alternative routes exist, some cheaper, others more expensive. The conference venue is about a five minute walk from famous central landmarks such as Trinity College Dublin and St Stephen’s Green. The nearest DART stations to the venue are Pearse Street and Grand Canal Dock - the area is also well served by a variety of Dublin Bus Services. Further details can be found at www.dart.ie (Trains) and www.dublinbus.ie (Buses).

Further information

For queries, you can contact one of the conference organizers:

Alan Bradshaw (alan.bradshaw@rhul.ac.uk)
Norah Campbell (ncampbe@tcd.ie)
Stephen Dunne (s.dunne@le.ac.uk)