SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

Max Weber and China: Culture, Law and Capitalism

Image by Werner Gephart portraying Qiu Jin and Max Weber

Call for Papers
Paper Submission
Confirmed Speakers
Registration

Max Weber is not only celebrated as a founder of modern social science but also for his view that modern capitalism was the achievement of a uniquely Western rationalism. His celebrated study of China argued that its legal institutions and ethical and religious culture had prevented a similar development there. But he also drew on his knowledge of China in developing his ideas of bureaucracy, authority and legitimacy.

The economic success of China over the last thirty years represents for some the biggest challenge yet to Weber's account of its culture, to his theory of capitalism and to the methods he employed in arriving at his account. But it also brings into question the self-image of the West and the idea of modernity. The conference we are announcing will bring scholars from the social sciences and humanities together in a West/East dialogue central both to mutual understanding between China and the West and also to an exploration of the possible varieties of capitalism.

Call for Papers

Members of the Max Weber Study Group of the British Sociological Association (BSA) and members of the China in Comparative Perspective Network (CCPN) at the LSE together with SOAS, University of London have formed a Programme Committee which makes this Call for Papers and invites proposals in the form of an abstract of a paper which should be submitted before 30 April 2013 using the online form.

The language of the conference will be English but abstracts may be in English or German. Abstracts in Chinese may be submitted with an English translation. They can be empirical or theoretical and have a methodological, historical, comparative or contemporary focus. The conference will have panels and streams with at least one each on culture, law and capitalism but contributions for a general stream will also be welcome.

Please note:

• The conference will have panels and parallel streams on culture, law and capitalism but contributions for a general stream will also be welcome.
• Your paper can be empirical or theoretical and have a methodological, historical, contemporary or comparative focus.
• The language of the conference will be English. Abstracts may submitted in any other language but always accompanied by an English translation.

Paper Submission

We recommend you to use our online submission form. The benefits are:

• much easier to use
• receive instant response
• save our efforts for data entry

Please:

• get ready with your details and abstract (250 words) before clicking the link to complete it
  make sure to ANSWER all the questions, leave ‘N/A’ or ‘None’ for questions that are irrelevant to your case, this will save your time enabling the form go through smoothly
• double check your email address is correct when completing the form so that an identical copy of your complete form will be sent to your email box
• look at the screen - once you have submitted your form successfully you will receive an automatic acknowledgement on screen

Privacy Policy: your personal information will remain confidential to us and will be used only for the purposes of this conference.

Or if you prefer to download the PDF form and complete it off-line you can then send it to: weberchinaconf@gmail.com, You will receive an acknowledgement within 48 hours, and you will also receive a copy of your completed form automatically when it has been transferred to our database sometimes.

Deadline for submission:  extended to 30 April 2013

We anticipate sending our comments and notifications as soon as we can after receiving your submissions when they have been evaluated by members of our Programme Committee.

Deadline for notification of acceptance: extended to 31 May 2013

Confirmed Speakers

• Professor Martin Albrow (Honorary Vice-President, British Sociological Association (BSA), UK; Fellow of Centre for Advanced Study, University of Bonn, Germany)
• Professor Gary Hamilton (Associate Director, The Jackson School of International Studies, Professor of International Studies and Sociology University of Washington, USA)
• Professor Athar Hussain (Director of Asia Research Centre, The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK)
• Professor Wolfgang Schluchter (Emeritus Professor of Max Weber Institute for Sociology; Co-Director of Centre for Advanced Study to Promote Interdisciplinary Dialogue and Research (Marsilius Kolleg); University of Heidelberg, Germany)
• Dr Julia Strauss (Senior Lecturer in Chinese Politics, Department of Politics and International Studies, the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, UK)
• Professor Guoxun Su (Department of Sociology, Harbin Institute of Technology; Emeritus Professor of Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (SASS), China)
• Professor Sam Whimster, Head of Culture and Modernisation Programme, the Global Policy Institute, London Metropolitan University; Editor of the Max Weber Studies

Registration

Registration is required of all participants. Online registration will close at noon, 3 September 2013.

Registration fee includes attendance at the conference, tea/coffee/water breaks and light lunch. Conference packs will include final programme, name badge and SOAS bag.  

*Students must show a valid student ID card on the day.

Online Registration 

Cancellation and refund policy

Cancellations must be reported in writing to the Conference Manager.  Cancellations must be received by 21 October 2013 in which case registration fees will be refunded, less a £10 processing fee.  No refund will be given to cancellations received after 21 October 2013.

Organisers 

• The Centre of Chinese Studies, SOAS, University of London
• Weber Study Group, the British Sociological Association (BSA)
• Journal of Max Weber Studies
• China in Comparative Perspective Network, LSE

Related publicity

• Max Weber and China: Culture, Law and Capitalism
• China in Comparative Perspective Network, LSE