‘A World of Things’: Consumerism, Consumption, and Commodities
Call for Participants for the 2021 Virtual Conference
‘A World of Things’: Consumerism, Consumption, and Commodities
February 20, 2021
Virtual Space Hosted by Texas A&M University-Commerce
Commerce, Texas
The World History Association of Texas and Texas A&M University-Commerce (TAMUC) invites you to the annual WHAT conference to be held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There is the possibility of an optional small in-person meeting in addition to the virtual conference depending on the state of the pandemic in February 2021. The WHAT conference provides a forum for the discussion of all aspects of World History. Proposals for panels, single papers, round tables, and workshops from research scholars, teachers, and students on any topic related to World History, including new research, concepts, or pedagogy, are welcome.
Our theme for 2021 is ‘A World of Things’: Consumerism, Consumption, and Commodities. Considering Erich Fromm’s statement that, “We live in a world of things, and our only connection with them is that we know how to manipulate or consume them,” we seek to understand those connections and the human experience with consumerism, consumption, and commodities. Recognizing there are many avenues towards building an historical narrative of global consumption, we envision his theme broadly.