The Irish Association for American Studies (IAAS) is inviting postgraduate and early-career researchers across the humanities to submit proposals for its annual symposium, which will examine the inequalities, exclusions and contradictions behind the American Dream.
Titled around the question “Who Gets to Dream?”, the symposium will explore how race, class, gender, sexuality and citizenship have shaped access to the promise of opportunity and social mobility in the United States. Taking inspiration from Malcolm X’s 1964 statement, “I don't see any American Dream. I've experienced only the American Nightmare”, the event will consider how an ideal associated with freedom and meritocracy can coexist with systemic inequality, displacement and exploitation.
The IAAS welcomes proposals for 15-minute papers from researchers working across disciplines including literature, history, film and media studies, cultural geography, political science, art history and critical theory.
Suggested topics include intersectional critiques of the American Dream; the experiences of immigrants, migrants and refugees; segregation and displacement; labour exploitation and the pressures of capitalist culture; and representations of American life in horror, noir and dystopian literature and cinema.
The symposium will also consider Irish and European perspectives on the American Dream, including migration across the Atlantic, alongside the role of civil rights movements, protest and activism in challenging established ideas of American freedom.
Designed as a supportive and collaborative academic space, the event welcomes contributions from researchers at any stage of their master's or PhD studies, as well as early-career academics.
Researchers interested in participating should submit an abstract of no more than 250 words, accompanied by a short biography of 50 words, by email to postgrad@iaas.ie.
The submission deadline is 12 noon on Sunday, 29 November 2026.
The symposium offers postgraduate researchers an opportunity to share their work, engage with interdisciplinary perspectives and contribute to critical discussions about American history, culture, identity and society.
For postgraduate students researching literature, politics, history, cultural studies or related humanities disciplines, the call provides an opportunity to present emerging research and connect with the wider academic community.
