New Perspectives on Boycotts and Sanctions Against Apartheid South Africa

The stream seeks to develop greater understanding of the international campaign to isolate apartheid South Africa through economic sanctions as well as consumer, cultural, sporting, and academic boycotts. Debates about boycotts and sanctions re-emerge on a cyclical basis, often coming hand-in-hand with major international events. For instance, the international community’s ostracism of Russia in light of its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has re-energised discussions over the use of boycotts and sanctions against pariah states. While scholars generally agree that the campaign against apartheid created a new ‘transnational political culture’ (Thörn: 2009) there is much less consensus regarding the efficacy of boycotts and sanctions in undermining the Pretoria regime. As stream convenors we are interested in paper and panel proposals that engage with (but are not limited to) the following areas:

The place of ‘solidarity’ in boycott and sanction movements; The role played by international bodies such as the United Nations; Boycotts and liberation movements; The liminal space between anti-racist and feminist organising; Pan African networks; Student activism; Faith groups; Biographies of notable individuals; Specific campaigns e.g. ‘look at the label’; Sporting diplomacy; Divestment, finance and ‘big Business’; Contemporary critiques of boycotts and sanctions as Noopolitik; South/South organising and solidarity work.

Panel/paper abstracts (300 words maximum) should be emailed to both stream convenors before the 20 April 2024 abstract submissions close. The organisers hope to use this stream as a platform from which to develop a broader research network and publish a special issue in a leading international history journal.

Individual papers and panel proposals are welcome. Please contact Dr Daniel J. Feather (D.J.Feather@ljmu.ac.uk) or Dr Kate Law (kate.law@nottingham.ac.uk ) with any questions.