Geographies of Enthusiasm: Exploration and Fieldwork
RGS-IBG Annual Conference 2012, Edinburgh
Sponsored by the Historical Geography Research Group
Organisers: Hilary Geoghegan (Exeter); Hannah Neate (UcLan); and Ruth Craggs (SMUC).
Exploration
is a well-established field of research, with geographers examining the
contested histories of colonial exploration (Driver, Heffernan,
Livingstone); spaces and cultures of modern exploration (MacDonald,
Matless, Naylor and Ryan); and, more recently, practices of urban
exploration (Bennett, Edensor, Garrett). Associated concepts of the
‘field’ and ‘fieldwork’ have been the subject of sustained focus in
relation to teaching practice (Hall et al., Maguire), researcher
positionality (Kobayashi, Dewsbury and Naylor) and lived experience
(Lorimer). This session extends these debates by examining notions of
exploration and fieldwork in other registers.
Hidden and local
histories, enthusiast knowledges, as well as popular and professional
practices have emerged as themes worthy of further study in relation to
exploration and fieldwork. This session is interested in people, places
and cultures that have for various reasons been overlooked, regarded as
old-fashioned or too readily classed as mundane, non-spectacular, even
‘amateur’. Papers will discuss a culture of exploration that involves
romance, revery, memory, as well as political purpose and physical
endeavour, and incorporates fieldwork carried out at weekends, on the
off-chance or as part of daily life. Focusing on landscapes of
exploration in the city, suburbia, and/or the rural, places that are
inhabited, cared for and preserved, practices and techniques based upon
archaeology, local history and architectural significance, this session
offers an opportunity to challenge how geographers have examined
people’s understandings of the world, their place within it, and their
fascination for it.
We welcome papers on:
* spaces of exploration and fieldwork both historical and contemporary;
* everyday, mundane and undramatic forms of exploration;
* special interest groups, amenity societies and volunteers;
* the role of experts and amateurs in exploring, knowing and caring for places;
* connections between fieldwork, learning and knowing in exploratory landscapes.
Papers on other related topics are also welcome. Please also circulate this CFP to other interested parties.
Please
send titles, abstracts of no more than 200 words, names and email
addresses of any co-authors, as well as any special a/v requests to
Hilary at
[log in to unmask] by Friday, 20th January 2012.
Please
note: 1) A walking tour will accompany this session – putting
discussions of exploration and fieldwork into practice. If you’re
interested in hearing more about the walking tour please send an
expression of interest to the email above. This sessions forms an
important part of the organisers’ British Academy research project
‘cultures of architectural enthusiasm’ – please visit this site for more
information:
http://conservingc20.wordpress.com/
2) We would like to draw your attention to the following presenter
guidelines outlined by the RGS: An individual may not normally make more
than two substantive contributions to the conference programme. A
substantive contribution includes: paper or poster presentation (of any
length); panel member; discussant or any session contribution of another
kind.