This event will be hybrid in Niagara C0826 and on Zoom (link here).
Title: In the Tracks of Cement – Aspects of Cement’s Impact on the Capitalist Welfare Society, the Example of Köping in Sweden 1941–1978
Abstract: The task of this project is to study the capitalist welfare society through two prisms: the place Köping, a small town in the middle of Sweden, and the material cement. Through these two prisms, the study will illuminate how the global and the local are connected and clarify the relationship between cement, concrete and the urbanization of small towns. How do industrialization and urbanization affect people’s experiences of their conditions in the small town of Köping – which gradually develops into one of several epicenters for cement manufacturing – and how are these experiences expressed in literary and other texts?
The focus of this project is on stories of various kinds in literary and other texts. The project is at the intersection of historical studies, literary studies and ethnology and follows the tracks of cement in the small Swedish town of Köping. In addition to the cement factory, there was also other cement-related industries such as the Eternit factory.
This seminar is part of the IUR Brown Bag Seminar Series. Bring your lunch! If you have any questions, please contact Defne Kadioglu and Julie Goodrich.