In recent years, the gap between the poorest and the wealthiest in society has increased exponentially and exacerbated the stark inequalities that have long existed in American society. This has been further impacted by the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has also raised a number of questions surrounding the treatment of those that were/are in poverty by the government, employers, educators, and society. Amidst these transformative changes in the United States, gross inequalities only grew.

This conference will highlight the intersections between poverty and other facets of 20th century US history, such as; work and work relations, government support and programs, racialisation, the healthcare system and socioeconomic inequalities. Throughout the 20th Century, state initiatives attempted on various levels to reduce the socioeconomic inequality that existed throughout the US, for instance the growth of government programs that either aimed to tackle the gross unemployment levels or the changes that had occurred within the healthcare system.

This year’s HOTCUS annual postgraduate and early career conference will be a one-day event on Saturday 15th October 2022 held at the University of Leicester. Participants will circulate a paper of 2,000 words (approximately) ahead of the conference. On the day, participants will deliver a brief introduction to their work, which will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

The keynote lecture will be delivered by Dr Ellie Armon Azoulay (Newcastle University)  in person at the University of Leicester. It is therefore highly encouraged that all participants and panelists will present in person at the University of Leicester.

HOTCUS invites proposals for papers for this conference from postgraduate and early career researchers that explore topics that relate to poverty in the twentieth-century United States. Papers/panel topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Government policy and support.
• Race, racism and poverty.
• Homelessness, poverty, and urban planning
• Poverty, healthcare and disability.
• Histories of poverty and rights movements.
• Individual activism and poverty.
• Environmental poverty.
• How gender and sexuality shape conceptions and experiences of poverty.

Submissions for papers should include a 300-word outline of your paper alongside a CV (limited to two pages). Submissions should be sent to hotcuspostgrads@gmail.com. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday 20th July 2022. For any further information, or any queries please contact Emma Rhodes (emr18@leicester.ac.uk).

We are also interested in holding a roundtable on fellowship/job applications, if this is something that you would be interested in and would like to contribute to, please email Emma.