Obama Effect

Call for Papers: The Obama Effect

 October 23-25, 2008, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

 Since he stepped into the national political spotlight at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) has challenged conventional wisdom about race, politics, media, and generation.  In this historic election year, it is imperative for scholars and professionals in a wide variety of disciplines to reflect upon the potential effects of Mr. Obama on: American and global public opinion; party politics; voter participation; media representations; international relations; religious discourses; and constructions of racial, sexual, and gender identities.

 This conference invites papers from scholars and professionals working from different perspectives on the phenomenon of Senator Obama’s political career. Our goal is to create a conference that will showcase various and interdisciplinary approaches to the “Obama Effect” to provide participants with a multi-faceted view of the past year’s campaign and its potential effects on a wide range of social arenas.