Call for papers 7th Gewina Conference

On 23 & 24 June 2017 the Society for the History of Science in the Low Countries, Gewina, will organize its seventh biannual meeting in the usual venue of Woudschoten, near Zeist. This two-day conference is intended to bring together those who share an interest in the history of science in the Netherlands, as well as discussing the current and future developments in the field. The 2017 meeting shall be devoted to Materiality, Museums and Media: History of Science, Presentation, and Outreach. 

Following up on Woudschoten 2015, which was devoted to the “material turn”, we will take the logical next step, and consider the role of historians of science and museum curators and their outreach in the public sphere.  Over the last decade, this material turn in the history of science has broadened the scope of the discipline, and has provoked new research questions. This direction opened up new possibilities for co-operation with heritage institutions and, henceforth, to extend the dialogue to broader groups in society.

Whereas historians have traditionally focused on texts, the study of instruments, images, material objects, collections and substances are now a firmly established topic of research. Scientific practices – including re-enacting experiments  – have become a new focus of attention, underlining the fluid boundaries between scientific and artisanal knowledge. Traditional disciplinary boundaries between, for example, the history of science and art history – are overcome, and have given way to fruitful cooperation.

But the question remains how historians of science and museum curators/educators can get in touch with the public. In which way could historians of science and museums co-operate and benefit from one another? What is the status of objects in this this context? How will the traditional function of museums as locations of knowledge (and research) develop in the future? What are the possibilities – and pitfalls – of showcasing results objects related to the history of science in the context of a museum? What are the possibilities and challenges of public outreach – and do share historians of science and museums devoted to its history the same audience? Can the history of science learn from the study of visitors’ responses?

Submitting proposals

Potential participants are invited to submit a proposal for a contribution. We especially welcome papers that address questions within this broad thematic framework. In keeping with tradition at the Woudschoten conferences, however, entries are not restricted to the theme. Moreover, we encourage proposals covering any historical time period, from antiquity to the modern day.

We welcome contributions to the conference in the form of presentations about work in progress or future research plans (max. 20 minutes) or posters that go into finer detail. Contributions to a panel discussion: academic staff and students are invited to join in discussing “material culture and teaching history of science”, for example with a short presentation on a relevant teaching experience.

For all contributions, please submit an abstract or proposal of max. 300 words (plus a short CV of two lines) before 1 December 2016 to: woudschoten7@gmail.com. When submitting, please specify your name, address, and affiliations. Also, please indicate whether your abstract should also be considered for a poster presentation if an oral one cannot be arranged. All abstract submissions will be evaluated by a review committee; notifications about the committee’s decision are to be sent before 1 March 2017.