"Invitation to Discourse - Normative Concepts in Transformation in the Arab Spring and Beyond" Young Academics Workshop 17th – 25th November 2013 News vom 04.07.2013 CALL FOR APPLICATION CAIRO UNIVERSITY – FREIE UNIVERSITÄT BERLIN – CLUSTER OF EXCELLENCE „NORMATIVE ORDERS“ The recent uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa that have become known as the Arab Spring never failed to surprise observers. The rapidity and extent of mass protests that took the streets rendered the entire scene almost incomprehensible for analysts and experts who have adhered to an idea of “Arab exceptionalism” for the last couple of decades. Most questions that have been raised in the aftermath of the Arab Spring have therefore understandably focused on reconstructing its underlying factors and predicting its geopolitical consequences. But apart from challenging the political and economic order of the region, the events of the Arab Spring have also underlined the urgency to revisit common understandings of various normative paradigms. Ever since 2011, the calls for freedom, dignity and justice have been and remain the most prominent demands resonating in all forms of institutional rearrangements and protest. They are uttered in the face of experienced forms of domination, humiliation and injustice. The choices and dilemmas of rapid change throughout the events of the Arab Spring raise serious questions about how we imagine democracy, activism and resistance. Hitherto existing theories and paradigms within the humanities and social science seemed unable to read the complexity. At the same time, the normative concepts in question in the Arab Spring are essential in normative paradigms of Western societies as well. Yet, the current European crisis clearly illustrates the rising intensity of negotiations on a just and free society. Further, discourses on immigration, social policy or security are fully comprehended only if we consider the myriad versions of norms from which these discourses spring. The same holds true for the agenda of international affairs and development cooperation. Amid this huge flux of ideas in an ever closer connected world, one feels the necessity to revisit the notions of challenged, revised and shared normative ideas. We invite young academics from Egypt and Germany to attend a one-week-workshop at Freie Universität in Berlin. The purpose is to engage in a cross-cultural conversation that discusses the normative dimensions of the current transformations in the Arab World. Designed from a multidisciplinary perspective, the workshop aims at fathoming the flux of interpretations of norms such as freedom, justice or dignity. Theoretical, empirical and methodological contributions from a variety of disciplinary perspectives are welcome that shed light on the potentialities, challenges and evidences of the normative transformation in the societies of the Arab World, with a particular focus on Egypt. We also encourage papers with a cross-cultural comparison. Topics include – but are not restricted to – the following: Traditions, experiences or ideologies that collective and individual societal/political actors refer to in order to express their positions, demands and reasons for actions. Role of democracy models and reference to Western or Islamic concepts in the process of transformation, the resistance they generate and whether the Egyptian society employs a model of its own. The validity of contemporary social and political theories to describe and explain the Arab Spring; and the drawbacks of current explanatory models. (New) methodological strategies to produce knowledge. The Arab Spring in cross-cultural, historical and civilizational perspectives. (Social) media as a medium of political expression and activism. Re-thinking gender vis-à-vis the current transformation: progress or a setback? The relation between the political and the cultural and whether new spaces of freedom are carved. The relation between the artistic and revolutionary machinery: egalitarian, hierarchical or transversal? Representations of normative ideas and their critique in the arts, such as in literature, film, music, etc. Workshop rationale This workshop aims at bringing together a multidisciplinary group of young academics – 14 from Germany and 14 from Egypt – in a creative and largely exploratory atmosphere. The workshop will function as a forum to exchange knowledge, concepts, ideas, methods and perspectives. Senior researchers and experts will join the discussions and exchange experience by providing conceptual and empirical perspectives from respective fields and disciplines. The program is composed of six kinds of activities: Reading Sessions Joint discussions of selected readings on relevant topics of the workshop will provide a starting ground to exchange ideas. Paper Session: In parallel paper sessions the participants will present their own research work papers and get feedback from the lecturers and their fellow participants. Plenum Discussions Mutually decided topics will be discussed by all participants. Guest Lectures Guest speakers will talk about a topic related to their research expertise and provide an insight in their current research. Evening Lecture A public evening lecture will be held for a public audience to address rationales of the workshop. Excursions To complement the discussions and presentations, excursions to important sites in Berlin such as museums or German government institutions will be offered. Eligibility Applicants should be young academics with preferably a minimum of a Master degree or an equivalent (e.g. PhD students, junior researchers, activists) in the field of the humanities, law and the social sciences. The workshop will be conducted in English; thus a good command of English both oral and written is required. Applications should contain: Curriculum vitae in English, with an attached list of publications if available. Copy/Scan of the highest obtained degree, preferably in English. A short essay or research paper of min. 2000 and max. 4000 words in English which addresses one of the topics mentioned above. A letter of motivation of max. 700 words in English. It should provide a clear picture of the motivation for participating in the workshop, along with the applicant’s personal, academic and/or professional background and interests as well as expectations towards the workshop. Deadline for applications is Wednesday, 7th of August 2013. Submission of application via e-mail to: invitation2discourse@gmail Please note: valid passport is needed to acquire visa and be able to travel to Germany! Process of selection Incomplete applications will not be considered. The selection of up to 28 participants will be made on a competitive basis. Applicants will be informed about the selection by mid-August 2013. Accepted applicants will receive further information. Travel costs will be covered by the project through the funding institution German Academic Ex-change Service (DAAD). This includes travel costs to Berlin and back, accommodation and meals while in Berlin. Organizers Aletta Diefenbach, MA | Cluster of Excellence “Normative Orders” | Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main Mario Carl, Dipl.-Soz. | Berlin Prof. Dr. Shereen Abouelnaga | Department of English | Cairo University Prof. Dr. Schirin Amir-Moazami | Institute of Islamic Studies | Freie Universität Berlin Dr. Mahmoud Bassiouni | Cluster of Excellence “Normative Orders” | Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main geschkult.fu-berlin.de/e/islamwiss/news/Call__Invitation_to_Discourse_.html
Posted on: Thu, 11 Jul 2013 14:00:43 +0000
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