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Mansion and church at Old Economy
Village, Ambridge, Pennsylvania

The Center for Communal Studies at the University of Southern Indiana announces its annual paper prize competition for the best undergraduate and graduate student paper on historic or contemporary communal groups, intentional communities, and utopias. 

Prizes:

1. Author of the best graduate paper or thesis or dissertation chapter will receive $500. 
2. Author of the best undergraduate paper or thesis will receive $250. 

Submission deadline is January 15, 2010

To apply, do one of the following:

1. Send an electronic copy to the submission email...
2. Send two paper copies to the mailing address...

Questions may also be directed to the submission email...

For the Annual Conference of The Communal Studies Association

Hosted by:
Historic New Harmony & The Center for Communal Studies
University of Southern Indiana
New Harmony, Indiana

Conference Dates:
September 30-October 2, 2010

Conference Theme:
“The Architecture of Community”

Architecture, in the fullest sense of the word, will be the theme of this conference, including not only the physical structures used by communitarians, but also the social, religious, and political organization of their communities.  Held at the Southern Indiana site of two prominent intentional communities, one founded by the German Pietist Harmony Society and the other by the social reformer Robert Owen, the site of the conference will give attendees examples of various types of architecture.  Tours of the New Harmony site will be included in the program.  Papers, panel discussions, and audio-visual presentations are solicited, both on the theme and on the broader aspects of communal life.  

Submission deadline of Paper & Session Proposals is May 1, 2010

The following submission materials need to be sent by way of the mailing address or the submission email...

• Presentation title
• 150-word maximum abstract
• Brief (100 word) biography
• Contact information

The Communal Studies Association is an interdisciplinary organization for people living in intentional communities, historic site personnel and academics representing topics including history, anthropology, religious studies, sociology, political science, and others.  Each year, the CSA’s annual conference is held at the site of an historic intentional community.  For more information about the organization, see our website www.communalstudies.org.

Questions may also be directed to the submission email...

The Center for Communal Studies at the University of Southern Indiana invites applications for a travel grant to fund research at the Communal Studies Collection at USI's David L. Rice Library.  The Communal Studies Collection's rich archival materials contain information on over 600 historic and contemporary communal societies, utopias, and intentional communities.  A complete listing of communities can be found at http://www.usi.edu/library/communalstudies.asp.   Particular strengths include the Harmonists, The Farm, Shakers, Twin Oaks, and Amana, but the collection covers American communalism much more broadly. 

The University of Southern Indiana (www.usi.edu) is located in Evansville, 25 miles from the historic communal town of New Harmony, Indiana. 

Applicant requirements:
Applicants may be graduate students or established scholars from any discipline that involves the study of communalism (such as history, English, anthropology, sociology, psychology, etc.) 

What the grant will do:
The grant will fund research up to $2,000 to be used from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. 

Application Deadline is May 1, 2010

The following submission materials need to be sent by way of the mailing address or the submission email...

• Letter detailing the project and its significance to communal studies
• Proposed budget
• Vita

Questions may also be directed to the submission email...

1. Submission email: communalcenter@usi.edu
   
   
2. Mailing address:
   Dr. Matthew Grow
   Center for Communal Studies
   University of Southern Indiana
   8600 University Boulevard
   Evansville, IN, 47712
   
   Office:  (812) 465-1656
   Fax:  (812) 465-7152

Please contact Dr. Matthew Grow (Email: mjgrow) for more information.