Univ. of Helsinki and Lithuanian Institute of History (Web)
Time: 15.-16.12.2025
Venue: The Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, Vilnius
Proposals by: 15.06.2025
This conference aims to examine the historical dimensions of family violence within imperial contexts. By exploring legal practices, social perceptions, and criminological approaches across different empires, the conference seeks to analyze how state policies, legal transformations, and cultural norms shaped responses to violence in the family. Bringing together scholars from diverse disciplines, the event fosters a comparative discussion on the intersection of law, crime, history, and family dynamics in imperial settings. We invite scholars and practitioners to submit original paper proposals. Contributions may address, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- Legal definitions and regulations of family violence in imperial systems
- The role of courts, law enforcement, and state institutions in addressing domestic violence
- The impact of legal reforms on the prosecution and adjudication of family violence
- Imperial legal frameworks and their relationship with gender, family authority, and social hierarchy
- Social perceptions and responses to family violence among state authorities, religious institutions, and communities
- Legal and extralegal punishments for domestic crimes and their evolution over time
- Judicial and societal treatment of intimate partner homicide, child abuse, and other forms of family violence
- The influence of class, ethnicity, religion, and geography on legal and social responses to family violence
- Family violence in colonial and peripheral regions versus imperial centers
- Women’s and marginalized groups‘ strategies for resisting, reporting, and legally challenging domestic violence Continue reading