Call for Papers JSPE 54th Annual Conference, 2006, on Transfigurations and Pathology of Contemporary Corporate Capital To be held on October 21-22, 2006, at Aichi University (Kurumadori Campus, Nagoya) The 54th annual conference of the JAPAN SOCIETY OF POLITICAL ECONOMY (JSPE) will be held on October 21 (Saturday) and 22 (Sunday), 2006, at the Kurumadori Campus of Aichi University, Nagoya. As stated above, the theme of the plenary session in this conference will be: Transfigurations and Pathology of Contemporary Corporate Capital. Under this theme, we intend to seek analyses of the new pathological trends stemming from financial strategies that contemporary corporations increasingly tend to adopt. In the perspective of the progressing information age, we are made to observe, among other things, uncontrolled speculations leading to bubbles and busts in securitized financial markets, where elevated share prices are sought as supreme virtues, and where the outburst of acquisitions and mergers hide behind them some organized mechanisms that seem to lend themselves to distortions and decay of sound economic activities. Indeed, the financial sector has grown hugely in recent years relative to the real economy, exerting on it influences that have not been sufficiently accounted for in theoretical terms. Clearly financial management of the firms are undergoing radical changes, especially in view of the rapidly growing combinations of internet-related firms via mergers and acquisitions, and of the institutional and private investors, investment funds, etc., which, as owners, begin to actively interfere with the management of the firm in all aspects, including its labour-relations. What is the nature of these changes? Are the classical concepts of finance and monopoly capital in Marxist economics adequate to grasp these novel phenomena? Or must we develop some new approaches to satisfactorily elucidate them? We surely need to thrash out all possibilities within our power so as to come to grips with the state of affairs that now stands against us and challenges us. We are also concerned with the impact of the new corporate behaviour on the ethical aspect of our lives in society. For, as corporate strategies abet speculation, parasitism, dysfunctions and ruins in business, men are led to engage themselves in complicities, deceptions and disloyalties, replacing solidarity with mutual suspicion in society, as the gap between the winners and the losers amplifies. Thus what happens in financial markets cannot stay aloof from our ethical life in society but does exert pernicious (and pathological) effects on human beings. We call for papers from the members and others with wide range of interests to take part in this conference devoted mainly to the aforementioned theme. Depending on the number of forthcoming reporters, the theme will be divided into several more focused ones, for each of which a separate session will be designed. Apart from those concerned with the main theme, we also intend to set up three specialized sessions on the environment, gender and the critique of new liberalism. We shall also envisage English-language sessions for those willing to participate from overseas. Should any member of the society wish to speak on a theme of his or her own choice, please feel free to approach the organizing committee which will remain open to suggestions. All those wanting to present a paper to the conference, please send by no later than [May] 31, 2006. in a resume of their paper [in 400 words] with your name, address, affiliation and other relevant data to: Shinjiro HAGIWARA or Tomohiko SEKINE e-mail: Jspe53@mml.gssm.musashi.ac.jp Postal Mailing address: Prof. Shinjiro HAGIWARA Faculty of Economics, Yokohama National University Tokiwadai 79-3, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken, 240-8501, Japan TEL:+ 81-45-339-3575 (Prof. HAGIWARA’s Office), Fax:+81-45-339-3504 *Attendants will pay their conference fee (5000 yen including the conference buffet), own transportation, accommodation and other personal expenses. Tetsuji Kawamura Chairman of the JSPE International Committee for Communication and Exchange JSPE URL : http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/jspe/en/index.html
