CFP: The History and Future of Rationing

The Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre at the University of Leeds is pleased to invite researchers to submit abstracts for a one-day interdisciplinary workshop on ‘The History and Future of Rationing’ to be held in Leeds onWednesday 25th March 2015.

Forming part of a wider AHRC-funded project Climate change, ethics and responsibilities: an interdisciplinary approach, this workshop seeks to invite discussion of both the historical experiences of rationing and potential use of rationing in the future, to explore ideas of acceptability and fairness in the organisation, distribution and consumption of limited resources. Researchers are welcome from any discipline including, but not limited to: history, philosophy, economics, environmental science, sociology, political theory etc.

Confirmed speakers:

Dr Tina Fawcett (Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford)

Dr Mark Roodhouse (Department of History, University of York)

Dr Rob Lawlor (IDEA CETL/Philosophy, University of Leeds)

Josie Freear (IDEA CETL/History, University of Leeds)

We are currently inviting proposals for papers on the history and future of rationing from researchers of any discipline. 

We are interested in discussions of rationing in a range of contexts – though not healthcare rationing. This may include topics such: as the rationing of food, clothing and fuel in wartime; fuel rationing in the 1970s; the experience of rationing in Cuba from 1959; contemporary carbon rationing; the ethics of rationing; the future of rationing etc.

We particularly welcome papers which explore the following issues:

•                     Fairness and ethics of rationing

•                     Tradable vs. non-tradable rations

•                     Equal shares vs. shares based on need or other criteria

•                     Setting minimum levels of consumption

•                     The political framework and organisation of rationing schemes

•                     Rationing vs. alternatives (e.g. taxation)

•                     Public and private acceptability and the lived experience of rationing

•                     The language of rationing (e.g. characterising market based approaches as “rationing by price”)

Deadline for proposals:

Please send your abstract (c. 300 words and prepared for blind review) [email protected]
The deadline for submitting an abstract is 16th January 2015