2011 Conference Overview
Beyond Freedom: New Directions in the Study of Emancipation
November 11-12, 2011
Luce Hall Auditorium, 34 Hillhouse Avenue
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
Is the burgeoning field of emancipation still defined by the problem of freedom? If so, then how has the concept of freedom been altered by new work in the field, and are these redefinitions cumulative or even compatible? If not, then what new frameworks are emerging to augment or replace the central framework of freedom? This conference brought together exciting new work in emancipation to inspire debate, discussion, and productive disagreement over the central role that the concept of freedom has played in shaping the field over the last quarter century. By placing United States emancipation in conversation with work in other emancipations, this conference aimed to provoke scholars to test the problems of freedom, the potential for the field to move beyond freedom, and the enduring utility of freedom.