[Posted for Tim Leonard. HB]


The 2009 Economic History Association Meetings

Hosted by University of Arizona

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort Tucson

Tucson, Arizona,

*September 11-13, 2009*

Richard Steckel, President Elect

*"Human Welfare: Measurement, Analysis and Interpretation"*

The Program Committee---Michael Haines, Colgate University (Chair); 
Jeremy Atack, Vanderbilt University; Brooks Kaiser, Gettysburg College; 
and Trevon Logan, Ohio State University---welcomes proposals for 
individual papers, as well as for entire sessions. Papers should in all 
cases be works in progress rather than accepted or published work. 
Submitters have a responsibility to let the program committee know if 
the proposed paper has been submitted for publication. Submissions for 
entire sessions should include no more than 3 papers and each proposal 
should be submitted separately. The committee reserves the right to 
determine which papers will be included in those sessions that are accepted.

As is the rule, papers on all subjects in economic history are welcome, 
but a number of sessions will be devoted to the theme "Human Welfare: 
Measurement, Analysis and Interpretation."

The ultimate goal of economic historians is to illuminate the evolution 
of human welfare. This year's theme promotes efforts to unify and to 
find common denominators in diverse approaches to understanding this 
central aspect of our past. Measurement is a central concern, even in 
modern studies of this complex subject. Among the issues to consider are 
the variety of approaches and how they compare. What was the 
contribution of improvements in health? Of emancipation or freedom? Of 
the right to vote? Of moderating the business cycle, or reducing bank 
failures? Can we estimate the social cost of inequality or crime, and of 
war, epidemics and other calamities? Of consumer surplus from trade? By 
how much did technological change improve welfare by making home and 
market production, as well as travel, easier and safer? What was the 
cost of isolation, or alternatively the benefit of cheap communication? 
What are the counterfactuals most suitable for addressing these types of 
questions? Of course, these ideas are merely suggestions, and we have at 
our disposal a growing array of economic theories and empirical methods 
to estimate how "progress" translates into human welfare.

Papers and session proposals should be submitted online at: 
http://www.ehameeting.com/submissions

Paper proposals should include a 
3-5 page pr?cis and a 150-word abstract suitable for publication in the 
/Journal of Economic History/. The due date is January 31, 2009.

Graduate students are encouraged to attend and the Association offers 
subsidies for

travel, hotel, registration, and meals, including a special graduate 
student dinner. A poster session welcomes work from dissertations in 
progress (application due date April 30, 2009.
The dissertation session convened by John Murray (University of Toledo) 
and Steven Broadberry (University of Warwick, UK) will honor six 
dissertations completed during the 2008-2009 academic year. The 
submission deadline is May 31, 2009. The Alexander Gerschenkron and 
Allan Nevins prizes will be awarded to the best dissertation on 
non-North American and North American topics.
For further information, check http://eh.net/eha/, which also includes 
information on travel options to Tucson, the EHA meetings page 
(www.ehameeting.com ), or contact Meetings 
Coordinator Jari Eloranta at elorantaj at appstate.edu



Thomas (Tim) Leonard

Secretary
History of Economics Society

tleonard at princeton.edu