Royal Geographical Society, Annual International Conference
London, 30 August – 2 September 2016
CFP Human dimensions of the coast – new perspectives and nexus thinking
Kira Gee (Helmholtz Zentrum Geesthacht), Daniela Siedschlag (Helmholtz Zentrum Geesthacht), Catherine Leyshon (University of Exeter)
Sponsored by the Coastal and Marine Research Group
Coasts are particularly dynamic spaces where natural processes of change collide with changes in the social, cultural and economic sphere. These interactions have made coasts living spaces and hubs of maritime industry, marine and terrestrial planning spaces, natural environments and recreational spaces, rural areas and megacities. Coasts are affected by in- and out-migration and increasingly shaped by globalisation in an economic and political context. They are rich sites of tangible and intangible cultural heritage from coastal port cities, villages, harbours, lighthouses, and submerged and coastal landscapes to myths, languages, traditions and crafts. Currently, European coasts are receiving attention as desirable ports of entry and political borders; at the same time they are still regarded as peripheral regions and lines of separation that mark the boundary between land and sea.
Various integrated perspectives have been used to bring together the diverse range of perspectives on the coast, including e.g. social-ecological systems analysis, resilience thinking or integrated coastal management. This session asks whether, and how, nexus thinking could expand on these approaches. Nexus thinking places coasts at the centre rather than the periphery, which could lead to new perspectives on the relationship between land and sea, flow-oriented definitions of coast, more flexible conceptions of space, or non-spatial concepts of coast. Nexus thinking could increase the focus on the many interdependencies that shape the dynamics of coastal systems; it is also understood here metaphorically as bringing together different disciplinary approaches.
We welcome papers on any aspect related to nexus thinking on the coast, focusing on theories, concepts, methodologies and case studies. Papers could refer to, but are not restricted to the following:
* How can coasts be re-defined in the context of nexus thinking?
* How do coasts influence people and vice versa? E.g. through coastal sense of place, living conditions, and social and environmental policy, territorial and planning paradigms?
* How can coasts be understood as connections between the “solid and liquid” and as centres or gateways? E.g. new marine uses, emerging (marine) energy landscapes?
* How do coasts connect people? E.g. through myths, history, heritage, trade/blue growth, constructed images, othering, or (economic and political) conflicts? Abstracts of about 200 words should be sent to [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask] and [log in to unmask] by 12 February 2016.
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