Midwest Conference on Utopian Studies

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, Indiana

March 23-24, 2012

The Midwest Conference on Utopian Studies at Valparaiso University is a regional conference dedicated to exploring the rich tradition of utopianism in all its forms, from the conceptual to the actual, from antiquity to the present day.   

In the context of a wider culture that commonly employs the term “utopian” as a pejorative to dismiss the views of an opponent as hopelessly naïve and unrealistic, the conference seeks to reclaim the utopian impulse as a vital expression of hope and the ongoing process of building societies that promote human emancipation.   

The conference will be held at the beautiful Harre Union in the heart of Valparaiso University’s campus.  In order to create an intimate and collegial experience for all participants, the conference will consist only of plenary sessions so that everyone can benefit from each other’s research.    

The keynote speaker for the conference is Dr. Peter Sands, Associate Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  Dr. Sands, who also holds a JD, has published articles and reviews of prominent scholarly texts in the journal Utopian Studies, was the co-organizer of the Society for Utopian Studies’ 2010 national conference in Milwaukee, and is currently writing a book entitled Lawtopias: Laws and Legal Systems in Utopias.   

Valparaiso University’s Graduate School is pleased to sponsor a $150 prize for the best paper presented by a graduate student at the conference.   

The Midwest Conference on Utopian Studies is supported by Valparaiso University’s College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School, Christ College honors college, and the departments of English, History, Political Science and Philosophy, as well as by the English departments at Simpson University and Wittenberg University.