The 2025 Australian and New Zealand American Studies Association Conference
Democracy and Resilience
November 26 – 28, 2025 | Melbourne, Australia
ANZASA is pleased to announce its biennial conference to be held November 26 – 28, 2025, on the campus of the University of Melbourne, as part of the 2025 Congress of the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS). We invite scholars, educators, and practitioners from across the disciplines to submit proposals that engage with this year’s theme ‘Democracy and Resilience’ or with other topics within the field of American Studies.
Conference Theme: Democracy and Resilience
At a moment of profound national and international reflection and debates about the future of American institutions, we welcome explorations of democracy’s fragility and resilience through American history as well as in the present and future. This theme invites scholars to consider how democratic ideals, practices, and institutions have been challenged, reimagined, defended, and transformed throughout the American experience.
Submissions might address:
- Historical and contemporary challenges to democratic institutions
- Social movements and civic engagement as expressions of democratic resilience or contestation
- The contribution of law/s and the judiciary in upholding/undermining democracy
- The role of media and cultural forms such as literature, film, theatre in American democracy
- The evolving nature of political discourse and public debate
- Democratic practices in communities historically excluded from power
- Comparative perspectives on American democracy
- The role of education in sustaining democratic values
Open Call
While we encourage engagement with the conference theme, we also welcome proposals on all topics relevant to American Studies, including but not limited to:
- American history and historiography
- U.S. politics and policy
- American literature and literary theory
- Film, television, and media studies
- Cultural and social movements
- Race, ethnicity, and immigration
- Gender and sexuality studies
- Environmental studies and ecocriticism
- U.S. foreign policy and international relations
- Regional and transnational American studies
- Digital humanities and American studies
Submission Guidelines
We invite proposals for:
- Individual 20-minute papers (300-word abstract)
- Complete panels (500-word panel abstract plus 150-word abstracts for each paper)
- Roundtable discussions (500-word description)
- Workshops (500-word description)
- Innovative presentation formats (500-word description)
All proposals should include a brief biographical statement (100 words) for each participant.
Submission Deadline: May 30, 2025
Please send proposals by email to: ANZASA2025@gmail.com
For questions or additional information, please contact: David Goodman d.goodman@unimelb.edu.au
Australian and New Zealand American Studies Association 