2025 Hybrid Bilingual Interdisciplinary Conference: Druze in the Levant and the Diaspora - Tradition and Modernity

The Druze Studies Journal (https://journals.ku.edu/druze) and the Druze Studies Project at the University of Kansas (https://druze.ku.edu/) will be holding a hybrid bi-lingual event: “2025 Interdisciplinary Conference: Druze in the Levant and the Diaspora - Tradition and Modernity,” on 16-18 October 2025.

The conference will include online and in-person panels of original research on the Druze in English and Arabic. It will also feature roundtables of experts in Druze Studies. 

We invite scholars from various disciplines to submit original and unpublished papers that focus on the Druze as a whole, a specific Druze community or communities, or a comparison between the Druze and others. Presentations can be from a discipline-specific approach or those who employ an interdisciplinary approach.

Papers will explore various topics, including but not limited to the following topics:

• Druze History and Historiography: Studies that delve into landmark events, developments, and figures in Druze history and interpret Druze history in various periods and regions, analyzing how historiographical methods have influenced our understanding of their past;
• Historical Evolution and Identity: Examine the Druze community's historical development in the Levant, uncovering change and continuity in defining and practicing their identity and focusing on how their unique history has shaped their identity in their homeland and the diaspora;
• Society and Ethos: An exploration of Druze customs, collective behaviors, and social norms, including religious practices that define the community's ethos;
• Cultural Adaptation in the Diaspora: Research on how Arab Druze communities adapt to new environments while maintaining their cultural and religious identity, both in their home countries and abroad;
• Education and Knowledge Transmission: Insights into the coexistence of traditional knowledge systems within the family and modern education within Druze communities, highlighting the ways in which knowledge is preserved and passed on to future generations;
• Political Participation and Integration: Analyses of the political engagement and integration of Druze communities in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and the diaspora, exploring their roles in various political systems, international relations, geopolitics, and impact on broader societal dynamics;
• Comparative Studies: Comparative analyses of the Druze experience across different countries or regions, examining similarities and differences in cultural, social, and political contexts;
• Literature, Art, and Performing Arts: Investigations into how literature, visual arts, or performing arts reflect and shape Arab Druze cultural identity, emphasizing the community's creative expressions;
• Family, Social Change, and Intergenerational Dynamics: Studies exploring the tensions and synergies within Druze families, the impact of social change, and the relationships between older and younger generations in preserving traditions in a modern context.

For any inquiries regarding the conference, please get in touch with Prof. Rami Zeedan at rzeedan@ku.edu or the DSJ editorial office at druzestudies@ku.edu .

Abstract Submission Deadline: 28 February 2025.