Please excuse cross postings
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CALL FOR PAPERS
CONTESTING TERRITORIES AND FLOWS: NEW GEOGRAPHIES OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Session proposed for the Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual
Meeting, March 7-11, Chicago, Illinois
Julie-Anne Boudreau, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique,
Montreal, Canada ([log in to unmask])
Walter Nicholls, Queen Mary University of London, UK ([log in to unmask])
Justin Beaumont, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
([log in to unmask])
This session assesses how contemporary movements develop strategies to
respond to territorial pressures while constructing and utilising
relational networks with extensive geographical reach. Globalization and
state restructuring have forced movements to develop new geopolitical
strategies to achieve their goals. On the one hand, increasingly complex
and fluid political institutional contexts (multi-level governance
arrangements, shifting scales of statehood, new state spaces etc.) compel
movements to develop geographically complex relational alliances which
allow them to press claims in powerful decision-making bodies. On the
other, as movements stretch and recombine across space, they are also
obliged to contend with persisting territorial pressures. Territory
remains an important aspect of movements in terms of providing a common
frame of identity for participants, developing strong trusting relations
between movement leaders, and harnessing thick networks which facilitate
the mobilization of high grade resources between movement actors.
Animating the theoretical discussion, several scholars observe the
confrontation between processes of state (re-) scaled territorialization
(Brenner, Jessop, etc.) as well as the emergence of new relational
topologies between actors (Amin, Massey, etc.). Eschewing a simple binary
opposition, we recognize the variety of organizational forms between the
extremes of pure territoriality and flow. Our session seeks innovative
theoretical enquiries and empirical analyses to understand how movements
deal with these dual geographical pressures in diverse political and
institutional contexts.
We invite theoretically-informed papers that address specific case studies
or comparative studies on the following questions:
* What specific ways have movements sought to balance new geographically
extensive relations and continuing territorial concerns?
* What are the specific functions of territories for geographically
extensive movements?
* How do movements take space into consideration in their strategic
decision-making?
* Comparisons of spatial strategies and practices across movements,
various mobilizing issues, and/ or changes in time.
Please express your interest in participating along with an outline of the
paper you have in mind at the first opportunity. Final abstracts (250
words max.) and your PINs should be sent to the three session organizers
by 30 September 2005. You should consult the AAG website (www.aag.org)
for online registration and abstract submission instructions.
Julie-Anne Boudreau
Walter Nicholls
Justin Beaumont
September 2005
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