Stadt, Land, Fluss?1... Hauptsache Lateinamerika! Arbeitskreis

Call for contributions for the meeting of the geographic research network AK Lateinamerika
Stadt, Land, Fluss?1... Hauptsache Lateinamerika!
Arbeitskreis Lateinamerika | 02.- 04. December 2016 | Hamburg
Never mind if it is about “city, country, or river”... it is the regional focus that represents the shared interest of
the loose research network on Latin America in German-speaking geography. Within this context members of
the Arbeitskreis have paid attention to a variety of topics within manifold different theoretical, practical,
conceptual, and empirical approaches on Latin America for years. Knowledge and knowledge production from
and on Latin America play a central role not only in the academic field but also in relation to ongoing societal,
political, economic or artistic discussions.
In this year’s meeting of the ‘AK Lateinamerika’, our main emphasis lies on the close consideration of concepts,
debates, and methods that are currently discussed and applied within the Latin American context. A further
focus lies on the reflection of our own theoretical and empirical (research) practices. With this prioritization we
would like to foster discussions on (geographical) knowledge production and subsequently its potential for
contributing to the decolonization of area-studies.
The meeting will be framed and enriched by several program highlights such as a key note, performance, and
thematic walks (Friday & Sunday). On Saturday (03.12.) we will provide plenty of time and space for various
individual and collective contributions of the participants.
We are looking forward to any kind of contributions, which can either focus on different aspects of a certain
topic or make a topic the subject of discussion through different formats. Instead of presentations of research
projects we would favor contributions on separate aspects of a geographical knowledge production in, with,
and on Latin America. These can be submitted in different formats, like e.g.:
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workshop proposal (either a fixed idea or a wish for further submissions)
joint reading and discussion rounds on relevant texts
(impulse) talks or inputs (10 min.) that focus on different aspects, questions, or problems in current
research projects
posters
maps/ mapping
creative entries (photographic, cinematic, crafted shapes...)
…
To inspire potential submissions we propose four thematic dimensions that are strongly entangled nonetheless
and should therefore not be understood as distinct topic areas:
Theoretical dimension
Which ideas, concepts, debates, theorists from/on Latin America are currently particularly interesting and
stimulating?
How and to which extend do these influence research within the AK Lateinamerika? How can such ideas,
concepts, theories be made fruitful for further research or connected with other approaches? And where can
they potentially be connected with other approaches?
Which social debates and conflicts currently influence academic discourse in Latin America and in what ways?
What kind of discussions are (made) visible and which are not?
1
“Stadt, Land, Fluss“ is the name of a German game. The English counterpart is “scategory”.
Methodical dimension
Which methods and approaches are being used recently in the Latin American context and how can they
contribute to debates in other research contexts?
In research in/on Latin America, which methodological approaches are we using and which challenges do we
face before, during, and after “fieldwork”?
How can calls for a decolonization of scientific methods and approaches to knowledge production be brought
together with our research in/on/with Latin America?
Practical dimension
Which structural conditions determine our research practices (conceptualization of research issue/question,
choice of method, involvement with (cooperating) partners, financing, etc.) and which impacts do they have on
our research?
How do we do “fieldwork” and what consequences arise from it? What kind of cooperations and conflicts
emerge during “fieldwork”?
Who accumulates knowledge about whom?
What happens with the research findings? Who benefits from them? Are they being returned and discussed
“locally” and maybe even changed afterwards?
How can research practice be decolonized?
Reflexive dimension
To which extend, in what way, and how does Eurocentrism matter in our work?
What does this mean for our positionality and how do we act on it?
Which examples, suggestions, considerations, reflections, and accounts of decolonizing science are we aware
of and refer to?
Which concrete steps of modification in knowledge production seem conceivable to “us”?
We are looking forward to numerous contributions that may be submitted until October 15th 2016 for which it
is a pleasure for us to confirm an active participation at the meeting. If you are submitting, we would ask you to
bindingly register with your name, address and university if applicable. The participation fee ranges from 15 €
(for students) to 50 € (for full earners) and is to be paid on arrival.
The meeting of the AK will take place in the Kulturzentrum Dock Europe in Hamburg-Altona (http://www.dockeurope.net/). There is a limited number of lower-priced accommodations (3-4 person bedroom, 25 € per
person and night, shared bathrooms). If you are interested, please contact us as soon as possible, so that we
can reserve a bed for you.
Please send any proposals, questions, or recommendations to one of the members of the organizing team of
the AG Kritische Geographien Globaler Ungleichheiten (working group critical geographies of global
inequalities):
Raffaela Rau ([email protected]), Katrin Singer ([email protected]), Ronja
Lührs ([email protected]), Tobias Schmitt ([email protected]), Caren Miesenberger
([email protected]), Sonja Kanemaki ([email protected]), Marcel Langer
([email protected]), Martina Neuburger ([email protected]), Nora
Husfeld ([email protected]), Nina Scheer ([email protected]), Katharina Schmidt
([email protected])