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Call for Papers Theme: Culture, Diversity, and Military Ethics Subtitle: Intersections of Military and Civilian Culture at a Time of International Political Upheaval Type: 2018 Annual Meeting Institution: International Society for Military Ethics (ISME) Case Western Reserve University Location: Cleveland, OH (USA) Date: 25.–26.1.2018 Deadline: 2.10.2017 __________________________________________________ This year's North American Chapter of the International Society for Military Ethics (ISME) annual conference will be held at Case Western Reserve University in the lovely University Circle district of Cleveland, Ohio, 25-26 January 2018. The overarching theme of the conference, the ethics of culture and diversity in the military at a time of international political shifts, will allow delegates from the US, Canada, and around the world to explore immediate challenges related to military ethics in a growing global culture of conflict. More specifically, dialogue will focus on three main research axes: (1) the application of just war theory in asymmetrical contexts, (2) military ethics and politics (both international and domestic), and (3) cultural integration, diversity, and globalisation. As ever, discussion of other issues in military ethics will also be welcome, including, for example, ethical issues arising from the development of new technologies, such as advancements in cyber or biotech. Just war theory in asymmetrical contexts Discussions on this theme will evolve around the role of just war theory in the current context of asymmetrical conflicts. In the last year or so, there were many startling news items: trucks and cars used as weapons against civilians, people shooting their fellow citizens while they prayed in a sacred space, drone attacks affecting unarmed individuals, chemical weapons used against vulnerable civilian populations, the "mother of all bombs" deployed against insurgents in Afghanistan, not to mention nuclear threats replacing diplomatic discussions and many more alarming incidents. In the context where borders have never been more permeable and yet alliances seem more fragile and polarized than ever, how is the recourse to violence to be justified? How do we recognize just cause, legitimate authority, last resort, etc. in the present disordered international order? Military ethics and politics (international and domestic) Faced with seemingly newly porous conceptions of war, countries need to increase their adaptability to constantly emerging and morphing crises. In the wake of the political awareness embedded into military training, many armies have seen new political engagement of their former and serving members in the public sphere: countries from around the world have permitted the recycling of former military leaders into leadership roles in political parties. Similarly, in the wake of populism, armies have allowed their soldiers to contribute to or advocate on behalf of particularly politically positioned publications, and former service members to be voices on cable and other new outlets, commentating on politics and endorsing specific views. Is there a duty of the armed forces to keep political distance? Should the freedom of expression of current and former military be more or less restricted than it currently is? Tensions between military ethics and real politics have also been found in the welcoming of persona non grata into the political sphere, in the daily negotiations with controversial leaders, and in the pursuit of questionable peace negotiations. How separate should the military be from domestic and international politics? Cultural integration and globalisation Diversity of views and values also brings the question of how best to manage cultural integration to the Forces at a time of extensive global migration. Nationalist and anti-immigrant movements in several nations have raised fundamental questions about the relationship between citizenship and service. Is it just for the rights of native-born citizens who do not serve to be greater than those of foreign-born residents who do? How successfully integrated are minority populations in the modern military? By being more of a meritocracy, could the military actually become a better model of integration than the broader population (as when the U.S. Army forces under the pressures of WWII eventually became more successfully racially integrated than 1940s civilian society – 20 years before the Civil Rights era)? The serving members at greater risk for attrition are visible minorities and females, and many armies adjust their quotas based on demographics. Should minority quotas be increased to make minorities less vulnerable? What are the implications of quotas and other possible solutions to the minority experience in military serve and to minority service members' sense of belonging and collective identity? What can we learn from abusive situations such as Marines United photo sharing scandal? Does social injustice begin at the stage of military recruiting? While populations are, at the global scale, more urbanised, most Forces struggle to recruit from both urban and rural areas and across diverse socio-economic sectors. Is this lack of diversity both an ethical concern and a strategic weakness? While priority will be given to abstracts submitted in one of these three axes of research, submissions related to any issues in military ethics will also be considered. Only abstracts submitted using the electronic submission form provided at this webpage will be considered. All abstracts will be peer reviewed. The format for presentations at the conference will be moderated panels on specific themes (based on submissions received) with extensive Q&A, rather than panellists reading prepared papers. Presenters will be required to submit potential discussion questions pertaining to their work to their panel moderators in advance of the conference and will be given only 10 minutes to briefly summarize their work before engaging in lively and in-depth discussions with fellow panelists, managed by the panel moderator and including questions from the audience. Students are encouraged to submit abstracts, as there will be a student panel and a prize for best student contributor. Deadline for abstracts submissions: October 2nd, 2017. Researchers will receive an answer by November 2nd, 2017. Presenters will have to register prior to November 30th, 2017 in order to be considered for the programme. If early bird registration rate ends November 30th 2017, general registration at regular rate will end the day prior to the start of the conference. Many opportunities for publications will be offered to participants. Conference website: http://www.internationalsocietyformilitaryethics.org/2018-conference.html __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: https://interphil.polylog.org InterPhil List Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/interphil@list.polylog.org/ __________________________________________________