HomeHerbs and humanity. For a material and cultural history
Herbs and humanity. For a material and cultural history
Les herbes et l'humanité - Pour une histoire matérielle et culturelle
The expansion and culture of herbs around the world - text and image
Expansion et culture des herbes dans le monde - Texte et image
Published on vendredi, avril 19, 2019
Summary
From the peaks of the Himalaya to the Mediterranean Sea, from the outset of the Silk Road to the far reaches of the Eurasian continent, the economy and culture of herbs has expanded over the course of time. Whether used as common products of consumption or considered as rare and valuable commodities, sold in their raw form or transformed, these medicinal or aromatic herbs have become precious cultural ambassadors in encounters with more and more faraway horizons. This book project centers on the idea of herbs as vectors of encounters and cultural exchanges. Indeed, the expansion and use of herbs around the world have led to the emergence of interacting and expanding cultural practices. The focus will be on defining the specific fields pertaining to the knowledge of herbs, with a particular interest in their cultivation, harvesting, commercialisation and circulation.
Announcement
Argument
From the peaks of the Himalaya to the Mediterranean Sea, from the outset of the Silk Road to the far reaches of the Eurasian continent, the economy and culture of herbs has expanded over the course of time. Whether used as common products of consumption or considered as rare and valuable commodities, sold in their raw form or transformed, these medicinal or aromatic herbs have become precious cultural ambassadors in encounters with more and more faraway horizons.
This book project centers on the idea of herbs as vectors of encounters and cultural exchanges. Indeed, the expansion and use of herbs around the world have led to the emergence of interacting and expanding cultural practices. The focus will be on defining the specific fields pertaining to the knowledge of herbs, with a particular interest in their cultivation, harvesting, commercialisation and circulation. The role played by the herb trade in the relations between different areas could also be included in this research. By following the traces of the propagation of herbs in past history or in current times, we hope to highlight their economic and cultural significance, as well as their impact in different areas around the world. The topic could also encompass the comparative study of pharmacopoeia, culinary practices, or more generally specific lifestyles, as well as intercultural questions, and environmental considerations. The evolution of the commercial nomenclatures of herbs in various societies and the issues of their logistics and transformation raise interesting perspectives as well.
In order to keep the widest interdisciplinary approach possible, we welcome contributions in the fields of ethnology, sociology, and economy as well as of medicine and botany. This work will furthermore be enriched by analyses of the traces left by herbs in literature and the arts.
Articles will be accepted in French and in English.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of possible approaches:
- Herbs in Western literature
- Herbs in Asian literature
- Herbs in the arts
- Herbs in different forms of commercial expansion around the world
- Herbs in social life
- Herbs in myths
- Herbs and beliefs
- Herbs in science-fiction / in fantastic literature
- Herbs in the garden
- Herbs and their etymological evolution
Submission guidelines
Deadline for sending abstract (around 500 words) along with a short bio bibliographical notice : 31 August 2019.
Answers will be returned on 30 October 2019.
Contacts
- Yue.Yue1@univ-brest.fr
- Anne.Minel@univ-brest.fr
- Molly.chatalic@univ-brest.fr
Calendar
-
Proposals to be sent by: 31 August 2019.
- Reading committee’s answers to be sent on: 30 October 2019.
- Last deadline for sending finished articles: 30 April 2020.
- Final verification by scientific and editorial committee. Project then sent to editor.
- Publication: September 2020.
Languages of articles: French and English.
Length of articles: 35000 to 50000 characters, spaces included
Address: UFR Lettres et Sciences Sociales,
Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France
Scientific Committee
- Yves Coativy (UBO CRBC),
- Molly Chatalic (UBO HCTI),
- Iside Constantini (Sorbonne-nouvelle), J
- acqueline Estran (UL3 IETT EA4186),
- Anne Le Guellec-Minel (UBO HCTI),
- Xavier Paulès (EHESS),
- Fatima Rodriguez (UBO HCTI),
- Wang Jian (Académie de Sciences Humaines et Sociales de Shanghai),
- Yue Yue (UBO HCTI),
- Zhang Fan (Université de Pékin (Beida)
Subjects
- Europe (Main subject)
- Society > Political studies > International relations
- Society > Economy > Management
- Society > Geography > Geography: society and territory
- Zones and regions > Europe > Mediterranean regions
- Society > History > Social history
Places
- Laboratoire HCTI, UFR Lettres et Sciences humaines - 20 rue Duquesne 29200 Brest
Brest, France (29)
Date(s)
- lundi, août 31, 2020
Keywords
- herbe, humanité
Contact(s)
- Emmanuelle Bourge
courriel : emmanuelle [dot] bourge [at] univ-brest [dot] fr
Information source
- Emmanuelle Bourge
courriel : emmanuelle [dot] bourge [at] univ-brest [dot] fr
To cite this announcement
« Herbs and humanity. For a material and cultural history », Call for papers, Calenda, Published on vendredi, avril 19, 2019, https://calenda-formation.labocleo.org/603385
