“This beautifully written and engaging book is a veritable intellectual feast. Not only does it bring the rich scholarly tradition of the Polish historiography of ‘backwardness’ and ‘development’ to bear on global discussions of economic inequality; it also offers an opportunity to rethink the ‘in-between’ place of East Central Europe in the global system of accumulation. Filling a major lacuna concerning the historical record of specifically East Central European contributions to one of the most important debates of our time, this book is a must for scholars working on the social histories/historical sociologies of global social change far beyond the west European core.”-József Böröcz, Professor of Sociology, Rutgers University

More: http://ceupress.com/book/explaining-economic-backwardness

Year 2023/2024

May 13: Entertainment Media and Politics

May 8, 2024

We are delighted to invite you to the double talk “Entertainment Media and Politics” with our special guest Professor Philip Habel and Professor Stephen Farnsworth. The participants will present their recent and current research on politics in late night comedy shows, movies, and video games.

Year 2023/2024

May 9: Queering the National Romance: LatinX Narratives of Belonging

May 3, 2024

We are pleased to invite you to a lecture by Professor Richard Reitsma in which we will explore LatinX literary, cinematic, and television narratives which attempt to situate LatinX persons in the national discourse of “America” through romance tropes. These narratives, often veering towards fantasy, use love between opposing forces (class, race/ethnicity, nations, etc.) as an allegory for a better nation.

Year 2023/2024

April 29: I Settle for Nothing but the Best: Biomedicalization in the Mass Effect Franchise

April 29, 2024

Weird Fictions Research Group cordially invites you to a lecture about biomedicalization in the Mass Effect franchise! In this lecture, we delve into the concept of biomedicalization within the sci-fi franchise, exploring how advancements in genetics, cybernetics, and artificial intelligence reshape the fate of humanity, at the cost of human privacy.

Year 2023/2024

April 26: Bad Gays and They/Them Armies: Homonationalism and its Backlash

April 26, 2024

We are pleased to invite you to a lecture by Ben Miller and Huw Lemmey, the hosts of Bad Gays, “a podcast about evil and complicated queers in history” and the authors of Bad Gays: A Homosexual History.

Year 2023/2024

April 26-27: Status Quo/Status Queer

April 26, 2024

The aim of the conference is to create an opportunity for MA and BA students at the American Studies Center and Institute of Applied Social Sciences to present their research projects and facilitate an exchange of inspiring ideas.