New Perspectives in Theory and Empirical Research

Rethymno, Crete, 10-13 December 2008

Economic and social history have given great impetus in the Greek historical studies during the 1970s and 1980s and have contributed to the renewal of thematic, research and methodology that has built on heated discussions and has resulted in an upsurge of production of studies. Although a remarkable production of scholarly research on a Greek and international level has continued during the 1990s and to the present day, the academic dialogue among scholars on Greek economic and social history has not been systematic and the interrelations between empirical research and theory has weakened. The Greek paradigm, despite the different and isolated attempts, has not been explored in its totality and has not been integrated in the international academic dialogue.

In order to overcome this situation, a group of historians, economists and social scientists, that publishes in the internet the Electronic Bulletin of Economic History (Hlektroniko Deltio Oikonomikis Istorias) with the acronym HDOISTO (www.hdoisto.gr), and organizes since September 2005, a biweekly Open Seminar of Economic and Social History, has decided to put together the first International Conference of Economic and Social History. The aim is to give the opportunity to Greek scholars and their colleagues abroad to participate in the exchange of ideas in economic and social history among historians, economists and researchers from different fields.

This conference is open to scholars involved in the Economic and Social History of Greece in modern and contemporary times. The languages of the Conference are Greek, English and French and papers will be accepted on the following three fields:

• Economic and Social History,
• Business History,
• History of Economic Thought and Social Theory

Papers accepted will have to be delivered end of October (30 October 2008), in order to be distributed among participants. All papers will be commented by commentators and we plan to allocate more time to discussion than to presentation.

Five proposals of young colleagues will be selected whose participation cost (travel and accommodation) will be covered by the Conference. The organizing committee hopes to publish the Proceedings of the Conference.