“Institutions and socio-economic changes”, AISPE-SISE 2021 Conference

The recent developments in world trade and world politics seem to mark a turnaround in international relations after 75 years of trade expansion, capital and labour movements. Economic history and the history of economic thought offer a wide range of ideas and case studies to comprehend the causes and consequences of nationalistic policies. Moreover, they can illustrate how economic ideas, vested interests, and power politics interact in the search for the means for fostering economic development and maximizing national gains from trade.

However, foreign trade and commercial policy are just one side of the state and national institutions’ multifaceted role to promote economic development. AISPE and SISE invite scholars to offer their contribution regarding the role played by the institutions (understood in a broad sense: public, private, religious, local, national, international, etc.) in influencing the trajectories of economic and social development, in favouring or hindering the birth, growth, and efficiency of businesses, in determining the distribution of income, the production of goods, and services essential to the well-being of the population, and in promoting education, creativity, and innovation.

These topics can be treated from various points of view – with reference to both formal and informal institutions, as well as to political institutions and those regarding the economy, civil society, and culture – with methodologies relevant to both economic history and the history of economic thought (micro-history, case studies, theoretical or economic policy debate between economists, and policymakers, quantitative and qualitative analyses and institutional history of economic science).

The time reference to be considered is broad, with particular attention to the period, so full of significant and rapid changes and marked by incisive forms of international cooperation (albeit within the framework of permanent competition between blocs and between individual countries), that goes from the end of the Second World War to present day, also in consideration of the fact that 2020 marks the 75^th anniversary of the end of the conflict.

Contributions on the lengthy prior phase will also be welcome, especially those starting from the new philosophical, political and economic ideas that variously animated the 18^th century reformism, the revolutionary vicissitudes of emancipation of the bourgeoisie, later followed by that of the proletariat, which determined important innovations to the institutions, their articulation, and their tools in a prolonged phase of economic and social transformations, the complex construction and articulation of the State and administrative systems, in the context of the passage from the absolutist regimes of the Restoration, to the constitutional ones of the second half of the 19^th century, to the democratic ones of the 20^th century, set against totalitarian regimes of opposite inspiration. Finally, the various economic, social, cultural, and educational policies implemented in this long and controversial evolution have profoundly marked the development of economic events and how economic disciplines have been constructed, institutionalised and professionalised.

By way of example, here are some topics:

• the relationship between large business and international trade in a historical or comparative perspective;
• the role of duties, commercial treaties, institutions, and regulations in promoting economic development and commercial integration;
• colonialism, protectionism and free trade;
• the role of small and medium enterprises in local and national development;
• national governments and public institutions in economic development and international economic relations;
• the activity of professional associations, trade unions, and lobbies;
• religions, cultures, and commercial integration;
• assessments of commercial and financial integration in specific countries or regions;
• advantages and disadvantages of trade and financial integration in a historical or comparative perspective;
• economic theories, trade, and development in historical perspective;
• economists such as consultants for governments, banks and large corporations;
• consequences of globalisation on the political system;
• consequences of globalisation on corporate structures and strategies;
• old and new forms of protectionism;
• history of economic policy;
• demographic policies and migratory movements;
• tax policies;
• poverty, social inequalities, and welfare;
• culture, training, research, creativity, innovation;
• territorial policies and imbalances at a regional, sub-regional and metropolitan area level;
• agricultural policies and food security;
• economic activities and the environment;
• regulation of economic activities;
• economic crime;
• social role of economists and historians;
• the institutionalisation and professionalisation of the economic sciences;
• cultural institutions, associations, and tools for the dissemination and propagation of economic sciences;
• the role of economists and economic research in public institutions, public administration, economic bodies, and large public and private enterprises.

New Papers or session proposals, as well as requests for changes to previous proposals already submitted, must be sent by September 1^st 2021, by registering through the conference website: aispe-sise2020conference.eu

Anyone wishing to confirm a paper or session proposal that has already been submitted need to access her/his own reserved area through the page https://aispe-sise2020conference.eu/users/, click on “Your submissions”, then on “EDIT”, and finally on “UPDATE”, this even if no changes to the previously submitted proposal have been made. If necessary, changes that are deemed helpful or necessary may also be made.

Regarding new proposals, these must be accompanied by an abstract (max 500 words for a paper, max 1000 words for a session, an indication of title, objectives, and mention of methodology).

The session proposals, which must include the indication of at least two interventions (with title and respective speakers), must be considered open proposals, subject to additions and adjustments, according to the proposals of the papers that will be received and the overall organisation of the conference.

The list of accepted proposals will be communicated by September 15^th, 2021. Papers (or an extended abstract of about 1500 words) must be sent, always through the conference website, by October 31^st, 2021.

There are no registration fees for SISE and AISPE members (who are up to date with the 2021 membership annual fee by October 10^th, 2021).

Non-members are required to pay 30 euros for the conference registration by October 10^th, 2021.

Schedule
September 1^st, 2021: deadline for submitting new proposals
September 15^th, 2021: notification of acceptance
October 10^th, 2021: registration deadline (through the conference website)
October 31^st, 2021: deadline for papers submission (or for extended abstract of approximately 1500 words)
November 4-6, 2021: conference

Official Languages
Italian, English, and French

Scientific Committee
Paola Pierucci, Gianfranco Tusset, Michele Alacevich, Massimo M. Augello, Patrizia Battilani, Carlo Marco Belfanti, Fabrizio Bientinesi, Giuseppe Conti, Giuseppe Di Taranto, Antonio Magliulo, Manuela Mosca, Seba-stiano Nerozzi, Ezio Ritrovato, Donatella Strangio, Mario Taccolini, Carlo M. Travaglini

Local Organizing Committee
Carlo M. Travaglini (coordinator), Rita d’Errico, Keti Lelo, Giuseppe Stemperini

Info
aispe-sise2020conference.eu
http://www.aispe.eu/
http://www.sisenet.it/
email: info@aispe-sise2020conference.eu

For any technical issues (on line registration, abstract submission…), please contact our helpdesk
email: helpdesk@aispe-sise2020conference.eu