Geographical knowledge and theories of practice
Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, UK, Friday 5^th
November 2010
In Geography, as in other fields of social science, there is growing
momentum behind what Schatzki et al. (2001) term 'the practice turn in
contemporary theory'. This one day workshop explores the potential and
challenges of theories of practice for the making of geographical
knowledge. It draws together an international group of scholars, from
pre-eminent theorists to postgraduate researchers at the sharp end of
pioneering ways to articulate theories of practice with empirical
geographical research.
Over the day we will consider philosophical foundations of theories of
practice, and their implications for geographical knowledge. But
Geography is empirical as well as theoretical. For the practice turn to
make a difference, it therefore has to be doable empirically as well as
theoretically. Researching practices poses major challenges for the
social sciences. It raises major questions of method, validity and
representation, as well as of ethics, asking that social science itself
reassess some of its most tried and tested research methods,
understandings of evidence and ways of writing its research.
The workshop is free to attend, but no financial help can be offered
with travel or accommodation.
Places are very limited, so please get in touch soon to register your
interest. Please contact Matt Watson - [log in to unmask]
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Programme
0900 Arrival and coffee
0930 Introduction, Matt Watson (Sheffield, UK), and
introductions
0950 Ted Schatzki (Kentucky, US), provisional title
/Practice ontology and social space /
*1045 Coffee and tea*
*1105 Panel session, Geography and Practice
/ with
/ Megan Blake (Sheffield, UK)
Jonathan Everts (Bayreuth, Germany)
Peter Jackson (Sheffield, UK)
Kirsten Simonsen (Roskilde, Denmark) *
*1240 Lunch*
*1330 Elizabeth Shove (Lancaster), **/Theories of practice and
questions of circulation, diffusion and reproduction. A discussion of
global cooling and indoor climate change./***
*1415 Empirical engagements -- researching practices 1
*Accounts of current empirical research engaging with theories of
practice -- challenges, innovations and insights from the sharp end.
* Rosie Emeny (Sheffield, UK)
Anna Krzywoszynska (Sheffield, UK)
Niklas Woermann (St Gallen, Switzerland)*
*1515 Tea and coffee*
*1535 Empirical engagements -- researching practices 2
Angela Meah (Sheffield, UK)
Jakob Wenzer (Gothenburg, Sweden) and Richard Milne (Sheffield, UK)*
*1630 Structured discussion, from iterative small groups to a final
plenary*
*1730 Close *
*Later: Fireworks?*
--
_______________________________________
Dr Matt Watson
Lecturer in Human Geography
t +44 (0) 114 2227911
f +44 (0) 114 2797907
e [log in to unmask]
Department of Geography, University of Sheffield
Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN
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