Society for the Public Understanding of the Middle Ages Call for Papers 2012

Society for the Public Understanding of the Middle Ages Call for Papers 2012

We invite abstracts for the following sessions at the 2012 ICMS and IMC. Abstracts (between 250 and 500 words) should be submitted electronically to publicmiddleages@gmail.com to the attention of Paul Sturtevant, and should indicate clearly your mailing address and phone number. If you need special equipment for the talk (digital projector, etc.), let us know when you submit your abstract. All abstract submissions are due by 15th September, 2011.
ICMS Kalamazoo, 2012
Growing Up with the Middle Ages: The Influences upon Children’s Ideas about the Medieval World
Children are bombarded with images of the Middle Ages every day— whether in school, in the popular media, in books, toys or play. But what impact do these childhood medievalisms have upon our children? And children grow up; how do the ideas about the Middle Ages formulated in childhood persist in adulthood?

Abstracts are invited for any subject pertaining to this topic, including medievalisms in media directed towards children, teaching the Middle Ages to children, or the ways in which the Middle Ages have become our collective default fairy-tale playground. Abstracts are particularly encouraged from practitioners in the fields of public history, educators, or medievalist mums and dads.
IMC Leeds, 2012
A Holiday to the Middle Ages: Medieval Public History Today
Contrary to popular belief, the Middle Ages is big business. The heritage industry in the UK contributes £20.6 billion to the British economy each year. A significant proportion of this is generated from countless trips to countryside castles, ruined abbeys, days out at a re-enactment, a museum or a living-history site which depicts the Middle Ages.

In recent years there have been significant developments in the ways in which the Middle Ages are interpreted and presented to the public through the heritage industry. This session invites abstracts pertaining to the presentation of the Middle Ages to the public today and its potential to influence the public knowledge of the Middle Ages. It particularly welcomes abstracts from any academics and professionals working in the heritage industry.

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