IMER NEWSLETTER NR. 1/2008

IMER NEWSLETTER

Monday, 28 january 2008

Newsletter Nr. 1 / 2008

Content:

  • IMER/UiB: Invitasjon til konferanse:” Mangfold, samhold og samfunn i endring”
  • Norsk Tidsskrift for Migrasjonsforskning søker artikler
  • Advanced Academic Update: Workers Without Borders: Rethinking Economic Migrationn
  • University of Edinborough: CFP: Return and onward migration
  • Call for applications: Settling Into Motion: The Bucerius Ph.D. Scholarships in Migration Studies
  • Call for apllications: European fellowships for training in urban studies
  • (CRONEM): CFP: Nationalism, Ethnicity and Citizenship: Whose Citizens? Whose Rights?
  • (Leverhulme Programme on Migration and Citizenship): CFP
  • (AAU): CFP: Understanding Conflicts-Cross-Cultural Perspectives
  • CFP: “Exiles from Europe (Balkan and Caucasus) to Turkey and from Turkey to Europe: What/How they remember.? “
  • Bulgarian Academy of Sciences: CFP: “Migration in and from southeastern Europe”
  • Erasmus University: CFP: “Migrant diasporas and decentralized development”
  • (KAFF-prosjektet): “Kulturell kompleksitet og identitet – forståelse og praksis i kulturvernet”
  • Publications

(Imer/Uib) INVITASJON TIL KONFERANSE:

“Mangfold, samhold og samfunn i endring “

Time: 17-18 april, 2008
Place: Admiral Hotel, Bergen

IMER/UiB-konferanse om relasjonen mellom insikter fra forskning og hva disse kan bety for ’brukere’. Utgangspunktet er resultatet fra IMER/UiB’s prosjekt om mangfoldssamfunnet, og hvordan disse relaterer til de problem som beslutningstakere og administratorer håndterer. Prosjektet om mangfoldssamfunnet ble finansiert av Norges Forskningsråd, og ble en sentral del av hele IMER/UIB’s virksomhet.
Denne konferansen søker å belyse hvilke verdier resultatene fra mangfoldsprosjektet kan ha for ulike brukerkategorier. Dette vil belyses og diskuteres på mange nivåer, fra de mer generelle perspektiv på relasjonen mellom forskning og samfunnsproblemer til diskusjoner av hvordan forskningsresultat kan belyse ulike måter å forstå spesifikke politiske eller sosiale problem. Et viktig aspekt blir å vise hvilke konsekvenser dette kan få for hvordan ’brukere’ kan relatere til den virkeligheten de håndterer.
Mangfoldsprosjektet bestod av mange ulike deler, og ga rom for å sysle med innvandring og kjønn, religion, transnasjonalisme, nye former for samfunnsborgerskap, dannelsen av nye sosiale rom delvis utenfor de nasjonalstatlige rammene. Alt for å forsøke å forstå hvilke forandringer som pågår i det norske og europeiske nasjonalstatssamfunnet.
Gjennom sin satsing på å belyse og integrere forskningsresultaters betydning på ulike nivåer, fra det allmenne til det spesifikke, søker denne konferansen å være en møteplass for forskere med ulike spesialiteter og brukere i mange ulike deler av det norske samfunnet.
Konferansen er lagt opp til å skape rom for en aktiv dialog.

Registrering , program og mer informasjon kommer snart på på konferansesidene

Spørsmål kan rettes til Kjersti Skjervheim

NORSK TIDSSKRIFT FOR MIGRASJONSFORSKNING:

Norsk tidsskrift for Migrasjonsforskning søker artikler

Norsk tidsskrift for migrasjonsforskning er et tverrfaglig vitenskaplig
tidsskrift (nivå 1) som publiserer bidrag innenfor et bredt spekter av
migrasjonsrelaterte tema. Dette innebærer internasjonale
befolkningsbevegelser, forhold mellom minoritet og majoritet, identitet,
nasjonal og internasjonal migrasjonspolitikk og jus. Tidsskriftet ønsker
både å presentere teoriutvikling og empiriske funn fra forskningsfeltet.
Redaksjonen tar imot vitenskapelige artikler på de skandinaviske språkene og
på engelsk.

Tidsskriftet har refereeordning og utkommer to ganger i året. Ansvarlige
redaktører er Nora Alhberg og Hakan G. Sicakkan.

Innleveringsfrist til nr. 1:2008 er 1. mars.

Foreløpig frist til nr. 2:2008 er 1. juni.

For nærmere informasjon kontakt redaksjonssekretær Thor Indseth

The maastricht school of governance: Invitation:

Advanced Academic Update: Workers Without Borders: Rethinking Economic Migration

Time: March 18-19, 2008
Place: Maastricht, the Netherlands

The Maastricht Graduate School of Governance (Maastricht University) is happy to invite you to participate in: Advanced Academic Update: Workers Without Borders:  Rethinking Economic Migration. The AAU provides an update on the most recent international migration developments and theories. The training enables you to meet the global most renowned academics and professionals and offers the opportunity to expand your migration network internationally. We invite academics and professionals working in the field of migration within governments, international organizations, academic institutions, NGOs or (semi-) private companies to participate in our training programme.  The AAU is designed specifically for migration professionals and assumes some prior knowledge to build on. We offer an opportunity to quickly and conveniently update and increase your knowledge on migration by joining the AAU.

(Selection of) guest speakers:

Mrs. Nebahat Albayrak, Deputy Minister for Justice The Netherlands

Prof. Oded Stark, Universities of Bonn, Klagenfurt, and Vienna; Warsaw University; Warsaw School of Economics; ESCE Economic and Social Research Center, Cologne and Eisenstadt

Ms. Sandra Pratt, DG Justice and Home Affairs, European Commission
Prof. Frederic Docquier, National Fund for Economic Research and Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium

Prof. Rita Süssmuth, Former Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Women, Youth and Health, Germany

Upcoming AAUs:

May 14-15: China’s Insider’s Insight, Brussels, Belgium

May 22-23: Less Dependency – More Participation? Recent innovations in Sickness and Disability Programmes, Maastricht

Please visit The Maastricht Graduate School of Governance website for more information

University of edinborough: Call for Papers:

Return and Onward Migration Workshop

Time: 9th-11th April 2008
Place: School of Social and Political Studies, University of Edinburgh

Confirmed Speakers
Professor Alastair Ager, Dr Tim Allen, Professor Richard Black, Dr Dawn Chatty, Dr Stef Jansen, Dr Tania Kaiser, Professor Roger Zetter

Aims and Objectives
Migration studies has acquired a central position across the social sciences, with research focusing on forced displacement and voluntary migration, internal displacement, child migration, global labour flows and skilled migration. This workshop will interrogate return migration (back to source societies) and onward migration (to a third destination).

Return migration is often seen as an ideal in policy discussion regarding refugees, asylum seekers and migrants alike – the return of refugees after the end of conflict, the reversal of the ‘brain-drain’ through the return of skilled professionals to developing countries, or the expulsion of unsuccessful asylum seekers and irregular migrants. Return migration that meets the basic criteria of not resulting in re-emigration may be considered ‘sustainable’ and therefore desirable from the perspective of host and home governments alike. From the perspective of returnees, however, return migration may itself imply ‘failure’. Moreover, resettlement and reintegration into the home society may be rife with difficulties especially when such societies have been transformed in the interim through war, political upheaval or economic crisis.

More than ten years on after the UNHCR’s decade of repatriation we have not witnessed a mass return of refugees. In fact, according to the UNHCR, there remain more than 38 protracted refugee situations affecting over 6.2 million people. Many will continue live permanently in their country of asylum, but others may resettle or be resettled in a third country. Such onward migration to a third destination (about which there is no comprehensive body of literature) similarly throws up multiple opportunities and obstacles in terms of legal documentation, access to resources, socio-economic wellbeing, socio-political integration, and the maintenance and dissolution of family life.

Call for Papers
We welcome abstracts of up to 250 words for papers from all relevant social science disciplines and with any geographical focus on the following suggested themes: In/voluntary repatriation; Return of repatriates; Resettlement policies; Un/official dispersal; Beyond ‘the myth of return’; Migrant identities. Please send abstracts (including your name, email address, and institutional affiliation) by Friday 1st February 2008 to:

Laura.Jeffery@ed.ac.uk and Jude.Murison@ed.ac.uk
Leverhulme Early Career Fellows
School of Social and Political Studies
University of Edinburgh

 

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS:

Settling Into Motion: The Bucerius Ph.D. Scholarships in Migration Studies

Focus 2008: Migration and Urban Transformations

Settling Into Motion – The Bucerius Ph.D. scholarship program in migration studies offers each year, six to eight scholarships for Ph.D. theses addressing migration in changing societies. In 2008 Ph.D. proposals studying “Migration and Urban Transformations” are especially welcome.

  • Who? Exceptionally qualified Ph.D. students in the broader social sciences with a strong academic record at European institutes.
  • What? Scholarships for up to 3 years cover a monthly stipend of 1200 Euros. Additional support for special research needs may be provided.

The Advisory Board includes: Prof. Thomas Faist (University of Bielefeld, Germany), Prof. Hartmut Häußermann (Humboldt University, Germany), Christiane Kuptsch (International Institute for Labour Studies, Switzerland), Prof. Peggy Levitt (Wellesley College, USA), Prof. John Mollenkopf (City University of New York, USA), Dr. Jens Schneider (Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies, The Netherlands), Dr. Patrick Simon (Institut National d’Etudes Démographiques, France), Prof. Steven Vertovec (Max Planck Institute for the Study of Ethnic and Religious Diversity, Germany, and Oxford University, UK), Dr. habil. Michael Werz (Georgetown University, USA)

Deadline for applications: 31 March 2008 for a stipend starting in August 2008.

Please find further information as well as the online application on the program’s website or contact by email.

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS:

European fellowships for training in urban studies

Issue 2008: The ethnically diverse city

Objective
Cities are one of the most relevant places to observe, understand and influence
changes in all fields of economy and society. Most inhabitants in the European Union
are living in urban areas. “Future Urban Research in Europe” (FUTURE) therefore
supports the research competencies, networks and human potentials to meet the
future challenges in the cities of Europe.
The project will continue and bring forward the existing research on different features
of urban life in Europe. FUTURE aims at the integration of different disciplines such
as urban planning, political science, urban design, sociology, management research,
architecture, economics, regional planning and other relevant contributing areas. The
project will result in the substantial and sustainable founding of a network of training
and exchange to prepare young scientists for the research on the European City.

Concept
The idea of the FUTURE is realised in four intensive training programmes for young
academics. Every training programme has a different annual issue. The programme
consists of the following elements:
• Application
• Selection by an international scientific committee
• Preparatory workshop (Issues: Ethics of Research, European Integration and
Urban Change; Methodological Training in Urban Research; Writing Skills;
Career Planning)
• Online training: Feedback from senior researchers on the draft paper
• International conference: Paper presentation
• Review of the paper
• Publication
• Certificate

The scholars are supervised by internationally well renowned scientist with aiming
knowledge exchange and the creation of a sustainable network between the young
researchers and the senior scientists.

This year’s issue (2008): The Ethnically Diverse City

European Cities will continue to be the destinations of migrants from all over the
world seeking for refuge, education and work. In some cities, they are concentrating
and developing their own life-world (“Lebenswelt”), in others they are integrated in the
host society at a faster pace.
The training programme 2008 will focus on three major issues:
• Ethnic diversity and the requirements for urban policies
• Integration of different ethnic groups in the local economy and society
• Innovative strategies for mutual benefit within ethnic diverse neighbourhoods
Workshop and conference will address the main topic of ethnic diversity such as the
spatial expression of different religions and cultural traditions, etc. and the
mechanisms of migrations (work, refuge chain migration, illegal entry, crime,
prostitution).
Venue: Weimar, Germany

Important dates:
Deadline for Application: 1st of April 2008
Workshop: 25th July 2008 – 1st August 2008
Conference: 31st October 2008 – 2nd November 2008

The fellowships
All accepted applicants will be granted a fellowship of the European Commission
which will enable the participation at the workshop and conference (travel expenses,
accommodation). FUTURE is proposed to ensure the sound training of young
researchers with regard to
• Provide a profound feedback from senior researchers
• link theoretical approaches to challenges of urban life
• enable contacts to international colleagues
• improve the competencies of the young researchers
• discuss research within the framework of European policies

Applications
Scholars (graduates, post-graduates, PhD, post-PhD) from all disciplines and all
European nations can apply. The selection will be lead by an international scientific
committee. Researchers with more than 10 years of research experienc cannot be
granted. In accordance with EU policies, FUTURE especially encourages women,
disabled persons, members of ethnic minorities and researchers from accessing
countries to apply.
Please send an abstract (max. 250 words) and curriculum vitae (max. 250
words) as an attachment (word or pdf document) by email

For further information about the programme and application procedure,
please visit the programme’s webportal.

(CRONEM): Call for submissions:

“CRONEM Conference 2008 “

Nationalism, Ethnicity and Citizenship: Whose Citizens? Whose Rights?

Time: 30 June – 1 July, 2008
Place: University of Surrey, Guildford, UK

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Deadline :1st February

Centre for Research on Nationalism, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism’s ( CRONEM)2008 conference will address issues bound up with nationalism, ethnicity and citizenship from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Multicultural societies raise crucial challenges for traditional conceptions of nations and citizenship. Ethnic diversity can mean that significant numbers of people are excluded from national projects, while the ‘melting pot’ metaphor belies the complexities of societies in which minority communities seek to protect their heritages and resist incorporation into the nation or state.

At the same time, conceptions of citizenship appear to be undergoing transformation. Civic engagement and participation is frequently viewed as being more effective in achieving social change than traditional forms of political representation. Levels of both civic and political participation vary significantly across ethnic communities, while political institutions are required to adjust to accommodate marginalised communities more effectively into democratic processes.

At the international level, the sovereignty of the nation state has been increasingly challenged in the name of protecting or asserting universal human rights. Regimes, deemed oppressive by powerful external actors, have been subjected to sanctions or military intervention. The question of national citizenship, with its attendant rights and obligations, is being reframed in the light of new expectations. The implications of this process for the future of states and their citizens remain unclear, but they appear to encourage the erosion of national sovereignty in favour of participation at both sub-national and international levels.

Confirmed speakers:

Hans van Amersfoort, Emeritus Professor, Cultural Geography and
Population Geography, Universiteit van Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Michael Byram, Professor of Education, Durham University

Nick Emler, Professor of Social Psychology, University of Surrey

Jonathan Friedman, Professor of Social Anthropology, Lund University, Sweden

Montserrat Guibernau, Professor of Politics, University of London

Lord Bhikhu Parekh, Labour Member of the House of Lords and Professor
of Political Philosophy, University of Westminster

Oren Yiftachel, Associate Professor of Political Geography, Ben Gurion
University of the Negev, Israel

As in previous CRONEM conferences, there will be ample opportunities for papers to be presented in parallel panel sessions and for poster presentations. Panel proposals (including a general introduction panel
of about 300 words, plus 300-word abstracts of each of the papers) and proposals for individual papers and posters (300-word abstracts) are invited on any aspect of nationalism, ethnicity or citizenship, particularly those addressing the following themes:

· Conceptualising citizenship in ethnically diverse societies

· Comparisons of old and new forms of citizenship

· Political versus civic engagement and participation

· Incorporating marginalised groups into democratic processes

· The concepts of intercultural, multicultural and cosmopolitan citizenship

· Citizenship and religion

· Citizenship and migrants

· The role of civic/citizenship education in multicultural societies

· National citizenship and universal human rights

· Ethnic conflict regulation and the roles of international actors

In addition, there will be a roundtable discussion in which experts from different disciplines will address a common problem from the perspectives of their own disciplinary backgrounds.

Please send your submissions to Mirela Dumic

Deadline for submissions: 1st February 2008

Notification of acceptance will be sent to presenters by 3rd March 2008.

Go to registration

Leverhulme Programme on Migration and Citizenship: CFP

 

“Mobility in International Labour Markets”

Time: 15-16 May, 2008
Place: University College London, UK

Call for papers:

Deadline for submissions: 14th February 2008

We are inviting scholars from all relevant disciplines to submit papers for
this conference.

The last decade has seen fundamental change in both the scale and nature of
labour immigration to the UK at a time of increasing globalisation. Within
this context, migration itself may be conceptualised as a business,
characterised by the interaction of a range of institutions such as
employers, universities, professional bodies and people smugglers as well
as migrants. With economic globalisation have come new or enhanced forms of
migration, with their own mobility systems and with important consequences
for the migrants themselves, for those with a migrant origin and for host
communities. The conference will present the latest research in a bid to
identify more clearly the processes at work, together with their wider
implications.

This conference will address issues based on the following themes:

* International mobility in a global economy
* Human smuggling and irregular work
* Youth labour markets and ethnicity
* International researcher mobility
* Mobility amongst the highly skilled
* International student mobility

The Leverhulme Programme on Migration and Citizenship at the University of
Bristol and University College London (2003-08) consists of eight projects
on contemporary labour mobility, post-immigration ethnicity and challenges
to British national identity. This is one of two conferences that will take
place in 2008 as the Programme reaches its conclusion (the second to be
held in November will focus on ethnicity, integration and national
identity).

Further details of the Programme can be found here

Please send your abstract (no more than 250 words) to Sara Tonge

(UNIVERSITY OF AARHUS): CFP:

“Understanding Conflicts-Cross-Cultural Perspectives”

Time: 19-22 August, 2008
Place: University of Aarhus, Denmark .

Call for Papers:

Abstract Deadline: March 1, 2008

This event is the first of a series of large international
interdisciplinary meetings that will bring together researchers from
different cultural background working on the analysis and transformation
of conflicts due to cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity. Our
invited speakers are international lead figures in conflict research,
sociology, political science, anthropology, psychology, philosophy,
sociology, the history of ideas, theology, and religious studies.
Conflicts are part of human life and often a source of innovation.
Different cultures not only generate conflicts but also impose on agents
different “conflict cultures’” preferences for certain types of conflict
dynamics (war, settlements, reconciliation) and predispositions for
certain forms of epistemic approach (rational analysis, psychological
hermeneutics, deep orientation). Attention to differences in cultural
images of conflicts’ the agentive understanding of sources, dynamics,
and possible transformations of conflicts’ is of central significance
for conflict mitigation in societies with cultural diversity. We invite
submissions of abstracts on any of the 60 conference sessions, including
workshop sessions, praxis reports, and panel discussion sessions. For
tracks and topics see the conference website. Deadline for abstracts:
March 1, 2008. Conference papers will be published in an anthology and 2
special issues of international journals.

Contact information:

Email:
Johanna Seibt
Web:
http://www.understandingconflicts.net

(CNRS & MSHA/MEN):CFP:

“Exiles from Europe (Balkan and Caucasus) to Turkey and from Turkey to Europe: What/How they remember.? “

A conference within the framework of the UMR 5222 quadrennial CNRS-University of Bordeaux 3  research project for 2007-2010 :  « Europe-Europeanisation-Europeanity » , and  of the quadrennial MSHA/MEN research project for 2007-2010 : « Margins, Memory and Representations of  European territories »

 

Time: 4–6 December, 2008
Place: Maison des Sciences de l’Homme d’Aquitaine,
10 Esplanade des Antilles,
Domaine Universitaire
33607 PESSAC-cedex
France

In the field of human and social sciences, memory studies focused on exiles from Turkey in the XXth Century are far and few between(excepted for Armenians and Greeks): this conference aims to remedy this situation. That this needs doing is due, in part, to the heterogeneousness of Turkey’s migrants and to the juxtaposed diversity of languages, religious, and ethnic groups which make their story such a multifaceted one.
One conference theme could be devoted to analysing what the Balkan Turks recall of the painful events which were to mark the decline and end of the Ottoman Empire, and force them to go back to Thrace or Anatolia. Another theme could examine the exchange of populations which took place, in 1923, between Greece and Turkey.
Above all, however, this conference will be focused on migrant Turks, and on the minorities excluded from the Treaty of Lausanne, whatever their ethnic or religious origins: Kurds, Turks, Balkan Turks; Sunni or Alevi Muslims, or Assyro-Chaldean Christians.
In terms of outstanding events, all this means studying the rebellion of Sheikh Said in 1925, and the revolts of the Kurds at Koçkiri in 1920, Ararat in 1930 and, more particularly, those of Dersim in 1937 and 1938, with their ensuing massacres. More recently, there is the war being waged in south-east Anatolia since 1985: this has led to more than 40,000 deaths, and set on the Europe-bound road to exile several hundred thousand Kurds, all fleeing war and repression.
In the 80s, forced Bulgarization led to the arrival, in Thrace for the most part, of some 300,000 Bulgarian Turks ; half of them settled down, while the other half returned to Bulgaria  once the situation there had improved.
Then, too, the invasion of Cyprus, and a succession of military coups in Turkey bear witness to the difficult destinies which would lead so many into exile.
What is needed now, for this pluridisciplinarian conference, bringing together historians, sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, geographers and sociolinguists, is to evaluate the different ways in which these dramatic changes affected the refugee populations, positively or negatively. How were these events recounted and transmitted from generation to generation?  Has there been a much-belated return to the place of origin, after many years of being settled down in Europe?  Are commemorations held in the receiving country to celebrate anniversaries such as those of some political leader, or of a particular event?  Do refugee associations contribute to this work of remembering? Can ethnic and/or religious identities survive in the place of exile? Does a language differing from that of the original region or Nation-State,  as is the case for Kurdish, which is forbidden in Turkey, play its part in this work of remembering? Does it serve as the focal bond to which such refugees cling? These are just a few of the possible questions to be addressed during this conference.

A non-exhaustive list of some possible themes is given below:
* The Balkan Turks’ exile at the end of the Ottoman Empire
* The Greek and Cretan Turks exchanged under the Treaty of Lausanne
* The Kurds whose revolts led to their being victims of Ataturk’s repression
* Political refugee victims of military coups since 1960
*The south-east Anatolian Kurd refugees since 1985
*Memory and Language in exile
*Memory and Commemoration in exile

Proposals for Conference papers:
These proposals should not exceed 300 words, should give 4 or 5 keywords and must be sent, before 30th March 2008, to the following address: francoise.rollan@msha.fr
Once accepted by the Scientific Committee, the definitive texts must be sent, to the same address, by no later than 15th September 2008: no text will be considered after that deadline.
Papers can be in either French or English.
For technical reasons (no simultaneous translation facilities available), presentations should be in English: 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of discussion.

Publication: After evaluation, the Conference papers will be published in a collective book at a later date.

Organizing Committee:
Françoise Rollan and Benoît Sourou: Tel. +33 556 84 68 27
Valérie Alfaurt: Tel. + 33 556 84 68 01
Marie-Hélène Durrens: Tel. + 33 556 84 69 13

Contact address: francoise.rollan@msha.fr

Scientific Committee:
Hamit Bozarslan, Research Director, EHESS, Paris, France
Michel Bruneau, Emeritus Research Director, CNRS, Bordeaux, France
Altan Gökalp, Research Director, CNRS, Paris, France
Ural Manço, Senior Researcher, CSS, St Louis University Colleges, Brussels, Belgium
Stéphane De Tapia, Research Director, CNRS, Strasbourg, France

 

(BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES):CFP:

“Migration in and from southeastern Europe”

Time: 2–3 June, 2008
Place: Sofia, Bulgaria.

Call for proposals:

Deadline for proposals (1 page): February 29th 2008

Southeastern Europe is one of the most remarkable regions in the world
for complexity and extent of refugees and migration movements. During
the last decade (1990-2000) 10 mln. of 80 mln. have moved or been
displaced. The Balkan migrations are also a major security concern for
EU and NATO. Four types of migration develop in the region: forced
migration; ethnic migrations, trafficking in human beings; temporary
migrations. They are asymmetrically present in the various countries.
The Balkan states are considered to be mostly sending countries of
migrants. But the region is very complex, with several distinct
categories of states according to economic development, recent migration
history and formal relationship to the EU.

The conference aims at shed light on different patterns of people’s
mobility in the region. It will open a constructive debate to exchange
experience on migration politics and practices, to bring to the fore
their different interests, views and perspectives Migration will be
articulated at two levels:

.. Macro-level – an overview of the policy-making processes in the
different states (legislation, institutionalization of migration policy,
strategies of inclusion of immigrants, security concerns, human rights
issues);
.. Micro-level – trough a sociological/anthropological perspective to
raise questions about the everyday life in migration.

The organizers cover economy class travel expenses and local
accommodation in Sofia for a limited number of participants from
South-East Europe.

The conference is supported by the Federal Ministry of Science and
Research of the Republic of Austria in the framework of its SEE science
cooperation initiative.

Deadline for the proposals (1 page): February 29th 2008

Information for accepted proposals: March 15th 2008

Please, send the proposals to:
Anna Krasteva, CERMES, New Bulgarian University

For any additional information, please contact

Anelia Kasabova, Institute of Ethnography, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

 

ERASMUS UNIVERSITY: CALL FOR PAPERS

“Migrant diasporas and decentralized development”

Time: 29-30 May 2008
Place: Erasmus University, Rotterdam

Call for papers:

Deadline: 31 january 2008

The links between migrant diasporas and development in ‘sending
countries’ are complex and depend on a host of factors. Recent
scholarship suggests that migration is a result of economic, political
and social transformations, which, in turn, trigger changes in all these
fields, in the countries of origin and residence. Many of the
transformations determined by migrant diasporas may not be grasped
through macroeconomic or development indicators at national level.

The focus on significant local changes determined by migrant diasporas
(including first, second or third generations of migrants) may provide
valuable insights in regard to local, thus ‘decentralised’ development,
induced through their action in the countries of (cultural) origin. The
links between diasporas and development at local level may be assessed
differently, depending on the indicators of development and
methodologies employed.

This conference will focus on the changes created due to the engagement
(economic, political, cultural) of migrant diasporas in countries of
origin at local level and innovative methodologies for exploring these
transformations.

We invite proposals on the following themes:
– Activities of migrant associations and their impact;
– Political, economic and cultural changes in countries of origin,
determined by migrants;
– Policies of temporary return and economic investment;
– Transnational relationships (family, partnerships, etc.) and their
effects.

Papers should be based on completed research or fieldwork. We welcome
contributions from IMISCOE members and other academics, researchers, PhD
students and policy-makers who are not in the network.

Abstracts (500 words) should be submitted by 31 January 2008 to Ms. Cristina Pantiru. Each abstract should outline the research questions, methodology and findings. The authors of the papers accepted for the conference will be notified in early March. Participants who present papers will have their travel and accommodation costs covered by IMISCOE.

This event is organized by Erasmus University Rotterdam
and Sussex Centre for Migration Research
and is supported by IMISCOE – The Network of Excellence on International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion.

For any questions please contact Ms. Cristina Pantiru

(KAFF-PROSJEKTET): INVITASJON TIL FORSKERVERKSTED:

“Kulturell kompleksitet og identitet – forståelse og praksis i kulturvernet”

Time: 6. februar, klokken 0930-1600
Place: M/S Innvik, Langkaia i Bjørvika, Oslo

KAFF-prosjektets verksted nummer 2

ABM-utvikling, Norsk kulturråd og Riksantikvaren har innledet et samarbeid om kunnskapsutvikling, forskning og formidling gjennom prosjektet Kulturarv i fortid, samtid og framtid (KAFF). Bakgrunnen for samarbeidet er at de tre organisasjonene har mange felles utfordringer og en felles erkjennelse av at politikken på de respektive feltene må være kunnskapsbasert. Det er behov for mer forskning om kulturarv i et samfunn i rask endring.

Tema for verkstedet:
Internasjonal migrasjon og kulturell globalisering, særlig innvandringen fra ikke-vestlige samfunn de siste tiårene, utfordrer mange av forestillingene om norsk kulturarv, norske tradisjoner og hva det vil si å være norsk. Det norske samfunn og norsk kultur kan i dag vanskelig forstås uten å vise til impulser og prosesser som er virksomme i en pluralistisk kultursituasjon. Gjennom hele historien har forståelsen av “det norske” endret seg i takt med migrasjon, kulturutveksling og den allmenne samfunnsutvikling. Den kanskje største utfordringen ligger i å finne relevante helhetsforståelser av kulturelt mangfold innen geografiske rammer som lokalsamfunn, by, region og nasjon.

Sammenlignende kulturforsking har hatt en tendens til å fokusere på forskjeller, mens kultur som en levende, kontinuerlig utviklingsprosess stimulert av stadig tverrkulturell kontakt og impulser utenfra, er blitt underkommunisert. Det tverrfaglige forskningsprogrammet Culcom ved Universitetet i Oslo tar sikte på å forbedre og utdype den akademiske og offentlige forståelsen av den nye kulturelle virkeligheten i det norske samfunn. Etter å ha gjennomgått en nasjonsbygging basert på kulturell likhet i det 19. og mesteparten av det 20. århundre, er Norge nå – i likhet med de fleste land – konfrontert med mangfoldets utfordringer.

Culcom ser på denne nye kompleksiteten fra flere synsvinkler. I stedet for å betrakte hver gruppe som en isolert enhet, utforskes det dynamiske forholdet mellom og innen gruppene, og selve gruppebegrepet blir problematisert. Sammenligninger blir utført både i og utenfor Norge, og kulturelle identiteter studeres i forhold til andre identiteter som kjønn og klasse. Etnisk norske blir også studert – majoriteter, og ikke bare minoriteter, har kulturell identitet.

Med utgangspunkt i prosjektleder Thomas Hylland-Eriksens presentasjon av Culcom og et etterfølgende innlegg ved dr.art i arkeologi Terje Østigård (UiB), er intensjonen med dette verkstedet bidra til refleksjon over aktuelle utfordringer i ABM-sektoren og kulturminnevernet i Norge. Det er også en hensikt  å gjøre forsknings- og kunnskapsbehov som er knyttet til disse sektorene mer tydlig. Foruten foredrag og innlegg, blir det satt av tid til debatt med utgangspunkt i følgende overordnete problemstillinger:

  1. Hvilke utfordringer representerer den nye kulturelle kompleksiteten for formidlingen ved museene, for ABM-sektorens virksomhet og for kulturminnevernets praksis?
  2. Hvilke konsekvenser har den i forhold til framtidige, overordnete strategier for arbeidet med vern og formidling av kulturarv i Norge?
  3. Hva er de viktigste forskningsbehovene på kulturarvfeltet knyttet til dagens kulturelle kompleksistet?

Verkstedet skal

  1. Bygge bro mellom forskningsmiljøene og kulturarvfeltet.
  2.  Stimulere til økt forskning som kan gripe fatt i kulturarvfeltets utfordringer knyttet til den flerkulturelle dimensjonen.

Møteledelse og arbeidsform:
Anne Sæterdal vil være verkstedets møteleder. Det legges opp til innlegg fra forskjellige fagpersoner, og kort summing i grupper i etterkant og deretter plenumsdiskusjon. Arbeidsform vil bli tilpasset antallet påmeldte. Notater på overhead/flippover.
Mer informasjon finnes på www.kaff.no

PUBLICATIONS:

-MIUrb/AL Bulletin. International Observatory on International Migration in Urban Areas of Latin America– is available on-line (in spanish and portuguese).

This number of the bulletin includes articles by young Brazilians, Bolivians, French and Italian researchers who offer to the reader an interesting and multifaceted overview on the issue of international migration in urban areas. In addition to a critical analysis of MIUrb/AL first year of activities, this bulletin puts a special focus on Bolivian migration, a quite illustrative type of flow for the exploration of the challenges that the new forms of human mobility – with its marked circulatory and transnational character – poses at the urban level.
More information | Download report

-Fangen, Katrine. (2008)Identitet og praksis. Etnisitet, klasse og kjønn blant somaliere i Norge. Gyldendal Akademisk. Mer informasjon

-Young, Robert J.C. The idea of English ethnicity . Blackwell Manifestos, Malden, Mass. : Blackwell Publishing.
More information