Social Democratic Parties and Business

CFP: a symposium in Sydney, September 2009

Business and Labour History Group
The University of Sydney
Call for papers

Social Democratic Parties and Business: An Historical Analysis
Symposium
Monday 28 September 2009

Symposium Organisers/Editors: Geoff Gallop and Greg Patmore

In recent years Labor/Labour or Social Democratic Governments and business have been close allies in restructuring capitalist economies and increasing the influence of the market on economic life. This thematic section proposes to bring in researchers who are undertaking long-term studies of the relationship between social democratic governments and business from Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere.
Examples of topics include:

  1. Privatisation and de-regulation as public policy
  2. Neo-liberalism and social democratic ideology
  3. Fundraising, lobbying politicians and business
  4. Social democracy, unions and the labour market
  5. The politics of private-public partnerships and contracting out
  6. Commissions of Inquiry into government and business - what do they tell us?

Intending contributors should electronically submit an abstract (300 words) to the editors by Friday 17 April 2009 for consideration. Intending contributors then participate in a symposium to be held at the University of Sydney, Australia, on Monday 28 September 2009. Full papers (5,000 - 8,000 words) for the symposium will be due on Monday 14 September. After the symposium participants will have time to consider comments before the submission of the final paper for refereeing for the special thematic section of Labour History on Monday 23 October 2009. The thematic will appear in the May 2010 issue of Labour History.

A limited amount of financial assistance will be available for overseas participants in the symposium.

The symposium is organised by the Business and Labour History Group, Faculty of Economics and Business, The University of Sydney and we acknowledge the financial support of the Faculty of Economics and Business, The University of Sydney. All enquiries regarding the symposium and the special thematic section of Labour History should be addressed to the thematic editors at [mailto]g.gallop@econ.usyd.edu.au[/mailto] and [mailto]g.patmore@econ.usyd.edu.au[/mailto]