Apologies for cross posting.
Second Call for Papers: RGS-IBG
Annual Conference, 26 – 28 August 2009, Manchester
Sponsored by the Economic
Geography Research Group
Organisers:
James Faulconbridge, Department
of Geography, Lancaster University
Sarah Hall, School of Geography,
University of Nottingham
Framed by the power of ‘knowledge based
economy’ discourses, governments, firms and organizations have identified
‘knowledge’ creation, circulation and exploitation as important
sources of economic growth, resilience and competitiveness for some time.
Such discourses are underpinned by a belief that society and in particular the
economy needs certain forms of expertise and highly-skilled,
‘talented’ professionals and citizens in order to manage issues as
diverse as the challenge of adapting to climate change through to innovation in
bio-technology. Recently, political and corporate interest has centred on
the role of research, education and training in (re)producing such a workforce
and the ways in which such activities legitimate particular forms of knowledge
and expertise.
There has been a growing body of academic research that scrutinises the nature of expertise and the range of actors involved in (re)producing and legitimating particular forms of expertise that are of value in business and society more widely. For example, in geography, Thrift (2005) has explored how business schools together with management consultants and business gurus circulate and legitimate particular forms of expertise in what he terms ‘soft capitalism’. Meanwhile, in management studies, significant debates have emerged concerning the possible future trajectories of MBA degrees and business schools. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the diverse geographies and spatialities involved in the (re)production and circulation of expertise. For instance, how are particular forms of expertise tailored to particular geographical settings? Moreover, why is geographical sensitivity important for the effectiveness of experts and bodies of expert knowledge? The aim of this session is, therefore, to connect work on the (re)production of expertise with geographical studies of knowledge. In so doing, we hope that the sessions will contribute to a more geographical sensitive understanding of the role of actors in (re)producing expertise and the implications of their actions.
Specific topics might include, but are by no means limited to:
· Theoretical approaches to spatial accounts of the (re)production of expertise and experts (such as approaches using work on the varieties of capitalism, relational and practice based approaches and communities of practice).
·
The
way experts and expertise move across space and the effects of geographical
heterogeneity on them.
· The geographically varied ways in which particular forms of expertise are legitimated by actors such as gurus, consultants, professional associations etc.
·
The
methodological and political implications of foregrounding questions of space
and place in studies of the (re)production of expertise and the work of
experts.
·
The
way institutions and organisations produce and circulate expertise and
geographical influences on this.
·
The
relationship between vernacular knowledges and more formally legitimated
expertise
If you are
interested in participating in this session please send an abstract of your
paper to James Faulconbridge ([log in to unmask])
and Sarah Hall ([log in to unmask])
by 23rd January 2009.
Dr James R Faulconbridge
Lecturer in Human Geography
Department of Geography
Lancaster University
Farrer Avenue
Lancaster
LA1 4YQ
UK
Telephone: +44(0)1524 510265
Homepage: http://www.geog.lancs.ac.uk/Members/jfaulconbridge
SSRN page: http://ssrn.com/author=546230