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E-mail below forwarded on behalf of Nina Laurie ... Apologies for the forwarded mail but I came off crit geog while on fieldwork outside the UK and need to get my act together to get back on. While at the excellent feminist geography conference in Reading last week I was sadly not surprised to discover that the call papers for the Geographies of Religion conference which Peter is leading for our new research grouping (myself, Nick Megoran, Jane Pollard and a core dynamic group of PGs) met with some hostility (I have reflected on such hostility in the discipline in a Geoforum editorial due to be published soon). While recognising that as Damien Collins argues geographies of religion work appears in outlets like Political Geography, EPA, SCG, and Transactions I nevertheless agree with Peter that the crit geog discussion reflects the aggressive secularism in the academy. As a comparator, feminist work was widely published well into the years when many feminist geographers still encountered aggressive reactions to their work from colleagues and/or in spaces where we were marginalised. As the discussion at Reading illustrated, 25 years on from the first WGSG book, respectable publishing and teaching take time to have an impact. Nina Laurie ________________________________ From: A forum for critical and radical geographers [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Damian Collins Sent: 03 December 2009 19:35 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Geographies of Religion conference - 8-9th March 2010 - call for papers Is it really the case that "issues of religion, faith and spirituality are so often ignored within the discipline, or worst still, policed by an often aggressively secular academy" when precisely those issues are being examined in numerous respectable outlets, including Political Geography, EPA, SCG, and Transactions, just to name those listed by Peter Hopkins? Serious takes on any or all of those issues - which by definition extend beyond simple cheer-leading for "post-secularism" - seem reasonably welcome. They are also likely to be key components of much teaching in, e.g., cultural geography and political geography. Damian Collins University of Alberta ________________________________ From: Peter Hopkins <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Thu, December 3, 2009 7:50:47 AM Subject: Re: Geographies of Religion conference - 8-9th March 2010 - call for papers It's very surprising to see the conference announcement getting such attention from geographers as issues of religion, faith and spirituality are so often ignored within the discipline, or worst still, policed by an often aggressively secular academy. Regarding the focus of the conference, one of the primary aims of this event is to create a critical series of dialogues about geographies of religion. The critical, engaged and sophisticated scholarship of the invited speakers (see references provided below) is one of the main reasons that these people were invited to speak at the conference. Furthermore, we encourage a diverse range of perspectives on any aspects of religion, faith and spirituality whether this focuses on world religions, new forms of faith or alternative spiritualities and practices. This may well include analyses of the ways in which particular beliefs, values and practices promote a sense of community, act as a source of social well-being and work to challenge inequality and injustice. Likewise, critical contributions are also encouraged from scholars focusing on the extremely damaging, intolerant and marginalising practices and attitudes associated with different religions, faiths and spiritualities. Indeed, this may well include analyses of atheism, secularism or agnosticism. Finally, as Avril Maddrell points out, it is important to consider the issue of positionality in relation to researching such topics, hence the reason why the conference includes a panel on this subject for which we are seeking contributions. Thanks Peter Dittmer, Jason, (2007). Intervention: Religious geopolitics. Political Geography 26(7) 737-739. Holloway Julian, (2003) Make-Believe: Spiritual Practice, Embodiment and Sacred Space. Environment and Planning A 35(11) 1961-1974. Knott, Kim, (2005) The Location of Religion: A Spatial Analysis. Equinox: London. Kong, Lily, (2005) Re-presenting the religious: nation, community and identity in museums. Social and Cultural Geography 6(4) 495-513. Pollard, Jane, and Samers, Michael, (2007) Islamic banking and finance: Postcolonial political economy and the decentring of economic geography. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 32(3), 313-330. Yip, Andrew, (2004) Negotiating space with family and kin in identity construction: the narratives of British non-heterosexual Muslims. The Sociological Review, 52(3) 336-350. >-----Original Message----- >From: Peter Hopkins [mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>] >Sent: 01 December 2009 16:34 >To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> >Cc: Peter Hopkins >Subject: Geographies of Religion conference - 8-9th March 2010 - call for papers > >Geographies of religion: a new dialogue > >8-9th March 2010, Newcastle University, UK > >Within human geography, it is arguably social and cultural geographers who >have had the most to say about religion, faith and spirituality. However, in >recent years, other sub-fields of the discipline have started to factor issues of >religious belief, faith and practice into their research. This conference aims to >foster a new dialogue within geographies of religion by creating a series of >conversations between the different sub-fields of human geography as well as >with neighbouring disciplines. Confirmed speakers currently include: > >Dr Julian Holloway, Manchester Metropolitan University >Professor Lily Kong, National University of Singapore >Professor Kim Knott, University of Leeds >Dr Jane Pollard, Newcastle University >Dr Andrew Yip, Nottingham University >Dr Jason Dittmer, University College London > >As well as a series of keynotes, the conference will also comprise of paper >sessions and two panel discussions. > >Call for papers >We invite contributions on any aspect of geographies of religion and >particularly encourage papers that seek to open up new dialogues within >geographies of religion and between geography and neighbouring disciplines. >Contributions might examine topics including, but not limited to: > >- Religion and development >- Emotional geographies, faith and spirituality >- Childhood, youth and faith >- Politics, international relations and religion >- Political economy, religion and spirituality >- Space, place and belief >- Innovative methods and methodologies in researching religion > >Submissions are particularly encouraged from postgraduate students, early >career researchers and practitioners. If you would like to present a paper at >the conference, please send an abstract of no more than 250 words to Jane >Thomas ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>) by Friday 8th January at the latest. The >selection committee will inform contributors of the decision in the following >week. > >Call for panellists >The conference will also include two panel discussions focusing on key issues >in researching religion. Panel discussions will include short 5-minute >contributions from a number of speakers followed by questions and discussion. >The panels will focus on: > >1 - Religion and feminism >2 - Positionalities in researching religion > >If you would like to contribute to one of these panels, please submit a 100 >word summary of your intended contribution to Jane Thomas >([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>) by Friday 8th January at the latest. The selection >committee will inform contributors of the decision in the following week. > > >Registration costs and funding > >Conference registration is £55 (full waged) or £10 (postgraduate) > >Thanks to the Social and Cultural Geography Group of the RGS-IBG, we have a >number of small bursaries to support postgraduate students who are >presenting at the conference. Priority for funding will be given to postgraduate >students who are not in receipt of ESRC funding. If you would like to apply for >a bursary, please contact Peter Hopkins ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>). > > >Peter Hopkins >School of Geography, Politics and Sociology >Newcastle University, UK > ________________________________ [http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/ca/iotg_search.jpg]Yahoo! Canada Toolbar : Search from anywhere on the web and bookmark your favourite sites. Download it now! <http://ca.toolbar.yahoo.com/>