Call for Papers
Unequal war: demographic and social-historical perspectives
September 9–11, 2026
Tampere University
Tampere, Finland
Wars affect social, regional, and racialized groups in markedly unequal ways. Historically, individuals from the poorest segments of society have been disproportionately drawn into military service. During the world wars, despite universal male conscription and rhetoric of shared sacrifice, the burdens and risks of war were unevenly distributed. Selection processes, assignment to more hazardous duties, and pre-existing inequalities in health, wealth, and social vulnerability all shaped the differential exposure of individuals and groups to wartime danger, producing highly varied outcomes. These predisposing factors are crucial for understanding the short- and long-term effects of war service on life trajectories, health and well-being, socioeconomic attainment, and even the intergenerational legacies of war.
We invite proposals for original research papers that examine inequalities related to war service and experiences – how war touched different geographical areas, social and racialized groups, ranging from preselection into military service and different exposures during conflict to the varied aftermaths of war – with particular emphasis on historical wars.
Selected proposals will be presented at a three-day workshop to be held on September 9–11, 2026 in Tampere, Finland. The workshop aims to foster in-depth discussion on the relationship between war and inequality. We intend to compile the selected papers into an edited volume (either a journal special issue or an edited book). For this reason, we seek original research that has not been previously published or submitted elsewhere.
Keynotes:
Professor Dora L. Costa, University of California
Professor Ralf Futselaar, Erasmus University of Rotterdam & NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies
We invite submissions of original research on the following themes:
- draft and enlistment procedures
- inequalities in war service
- inequalities in casualties and victims of war
- health and socioeconomic differences in conscript armies
- predispositions to war exposure, violence and stress
- regions, social class, and ethnicity in military service
- long-term inequalities of war service on health and socioeconomic status
Please submit your proposal including abstract of app. 500 words and a short bio by 1 March 2026 to virva.liski@tuni.fi