Since the early 20^th century, work in contemporary societies has suffered several processes of change, which, in the context of the current economic and employment crisis, demand equating the structuring of social identities that are built and modified through work. During this period, cinema has been a privileged vehicle for the creation and dissemination of representations on work and, therefore, the shaping of social memories. This international and multidisciplinary seminar aims at gathering and discussing contributions that analyse the social processes involved in the formation of work identities and representations through cinema. It welcomes papers that highlight the main continuities and discontinuities of work memory narratives from the early 20^th century to the present days, based on the analysis of specific films or bodies of films (both documentaries and fictions) and their reception.

Argument

Since the early 20^th century, work in contemporary societies has suffered several processes of change, which, in the context of the current economic and employment crisis, demand equating the structuring of social identities that are built and modified through work. During this period, cinema has been a privileged vehicle for the creation and dissemination of representations on work and, therefore, the shaping of social memories. It has constituted a privileged channel in the construction of work memory narratives, contributing to the formation, reproduction and reconfiguration of social identities.

This international and multidisciplinary seminar aims at gathering and discussing contributions that analyse the social processes involved in the formation of work identities and representations through cinema. It will explore how cinema and cinematographic practices – the production, making and uses of films – have shaped social memories on work.

The seminar welcomes papers that highlight the main continuities and discontinuities of work memory narratives from the early 20^th century to the present days, based on the analysis of specific films or bodies of films (both documentaries and fictions) and their reception. We encourage interdisciplinary approaches following theoretically and methodologically innovative paths as well as proposals from those who seek to incorporate visual material into their presentations. 

Main themes

Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Cinema and work (e.g. labour class, militant, educative, companies films)
• Social identities and cinema (documentary, fiction, etc);
• Social memories on work;
• Uses and reception contexts of the film;
• Useful cinema;
• Industrialisation and desindustrialisation in cinema;
• Gender approaches;
• Work spaces;
• Techniques, know-how and learning.

Submission guidelines

Deadline for proposals:

June, 30^th

We accept proposals in Portuguese, English and Spanish.

Scientific and organising Committee

• Luísa Veloso (CIES-IUL),
• Frédéric Vidal (CRIA),
• Emília Margarida Marques (CRIA),
• João Rosas (CIES-IUL) 

Work on screen: a study of social memories and identities through cinema