Apply Now- 2015 SHAFR Summer Institute- "The ‘Tocqueville Oscillation’: The Intersection of Domestic Politics and Foreign Policy"

2015 SHAFR SUMMER INSTITUTE COLUMBUS, OH
“THE ‘TOCQUEVILLE OSCILLATION’: THE INTERSECTION OF DOMESTIC POLITICS AND FOREIGN POLICY”

As Robert McMahon pointed out in 2005 in the Journal of Policy History, the history of U.S. foreign relations is, “intrinsically, a Janus-faced field, one that looks both outward and inward for the wellsprings of America’s behavior in the global arena.” Yet, despite the obvious links between politics and diplomacy, the connections between the two have been somewhat obscured in the literature of the past few decades, largely overshadowed by newer methodologies, transnational approaches, and the incorporation of more multi-archival and multi-lingual works. To be sure, this new scholarship has changed the field for the better, and has returned diplomatic history to the cutting edge of methodological sophistication. Nevertheless, there remains a need for the field to remain attuned to the linkages between politics and foreign policy and appreciate the context in which U.S. foreign relations evolves.

These themes will be at the heart of the 8th annual Summer Institute of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, which will take place June 19-23, 2015. The Institute–which will be held immediately before the annual SHAFR conference in Arlington, Virginia on June 25-27, 2015–will be hosted by the Mershon Center for International Security Studies and The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Designed for advanced graduate students and early career faculty members in history and related fields, the program will feature seminar-style discussions and meetings with leading scholars. The Institute will also provide a forum for the participants to present their research; an opportunity to publish a chapter of their work in an edited volume devoted to politics and foreign policy; and include seminars on professional development, teaching, and publishing. Each participant will be reimbursed for travel, will be provided free accommodation and most meals in Columbus, and will receive a modest honorarium.

The deadline for applications is January 15, 2015. Applicants should submit a c.v.; a brief letter detailing how participation in the Institute would benefit their scholarship and careers; a short (300 word) abstract about the research project they will present at the Institute; and a letter of recommendation, ideally from their dissertation adviser. Please send this material electronically in Word, PDF, or WordPerfect format to both of the Institute’s lead organizers: Andrew Johns, Associate Professor of History at Brigham Young University and the David M. Kennedy Center for International Relations ([email protected]); and Mitchell Lerner, Associate Professor of History and Director of the Institute for Korean Studies at The Ohio State University ([email protected]). Please direct all questions to the Institute organizers.