colors
Opportunities & events
Call for papers: Innovating (trans)cultural studies through gift exchange

Apply by: 15 February 2025

Call for papers: Innovating (trans)cultural studies through gift exchange

Innovating (trans)cultural studies and (trans)cultural history through the polyvalent concept of gift exchange. Revisiting Marcel Mauss's Essay on the Gift (1925–2025)



Conference details

Date: 16 – 17 July, 2025

Location: Heidelberg University

Submission: Please send a 200-300 word abstract of your paper to by 15 February 2025.


This conference is organised as part of Veronika Čapská’s Visiting Professorship at Heidelberg University, which delves into the analytical concept of (gift) exchange and its potential for transcultural studies and history.

Marking the centenary of Marcel Mauss’s Essay on the Gift, the event seeks to revisit Mauss’s theory of reciprocity and social cohesion, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue among historians and social scientists.

The conference will explore the role of gift exchange as a bridge between past experiences and future expectations, inviting contributions that engage with theoretical, methodological, and empirical research in transcultural studies and history. Scholars are encouraged to submit papers on topics such as cultural exchanges, material culture, reciprocity, and future-oriented histories.

There is no conference fee and the 4EU+ Alliance will cover the conference meals to participants.

Read the full Call for papers