Excellent early career scholars may apply for partial funding (650 Euros) for the Salzburg Global Seminar on “Democracy on the Front Lines: Polarization, Culture and Resilience in America and the World.” The event will take place from 3-7 November 2022. Applications can be submitted by 1 August 2022.
Democratic systems in the US and worldwide face complex challenges and threats. Authoritarian power, populism, anti-democratic propaganda, and political polarization have reshaped geopolitics and put democracy on the defensive. In addition, economic and racial divisions are driving political and cultural polarization, and the landscape of power, pluralism, and representation is shifting unlike any time in the last three decades.
Confrontations between authoritarian and democratic systems have been escalating for years, culminating in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a full-scale mobilization to defend democratic values and the right to self-determination. In the United States, the attempted insurrection of January 6, 2021, and other internal threats to democratic values are deepening structural divisions and raising critical questions about the resilience of America’s democratic institutions.
As part of Salzburg Global Seminar’s 75th anniversary in 2022, and our long tradition of American Studies Programs, this program will focus on how democracies are responding to internal and external threats and will examine the role of American Studies in reinforcing democratic values for the next 75 years. During this year´s program our participants will debate crucial questions:
- What role can American Studies play in reinforcing democratic values while revealing the shortcomings of contemporary democracies, particularly in light of rising authoritarianism movements?
- What can the US learn from democratic trends and innovations in other countries? In what ways can new forms of cultural exchange support pro-democratic movements?
- How can citizens, media, and institutions re-engage across divides to build resilience and restore public trust?
- What lessons from the past can be applied to the present – and the future?
- How can American Studies help develop a vision of a more just world and stronger democratic systems in an era of radically changing geopolitical forces?
- How are current dynamics and unreconciled historical roots affecting the US’ image and influence worldwide?
Application Process
In order to apply, please e-mail a CV as well as a cover letter with a brief description (300–500 words) of how participation in this Seminar would be helpful and relevant to your research by August 1, 2022 to Joshua Parker (joshua.parker@plus.ac.at).
Learn More About the Salzburg Global Seminar’s American Studies Program