Cultural Geographies of 'Native' and ‘Non-native'
Natures
Call for Papers: RGS/IBG Conference: 3oth August – 1st September 2005
London
Session Organisers: Divya Tolia-Kelly (Durham) and Kezia Barker (UCL)
Supported by the Social and Cultural Geography Research Group
In recent research in cultural geography (e.g. Ecos vol 23, 2002 and
Clarke, 2003) new debates on the categorisation and normalisation
of ‘native’ and ‘alien’ species have erupted. These debates are occurring
in the context of tightening legislation on global biosecurity, as
countries seek to protect their natural and agricultural systems from the
perceived threat of alien invasives. These legislative moves could be seen
to stand in conflict with arguments for a new cosmopolitanism, and a call
within cultural studies for non-essential approaches to cultural,
biological and material citizenship. Others may argue that as the second
leading cause of biodiversity loss worldwide (according to the Convention
on Biological Diversity), this academic sensibility towards invasive alien
species is taking the ‘hype of hybridity’ (Mitchell, 1997) too far.
This session seeks to address the debate that denotes ‘alien’ and ‘native’
nature as cultural categories, but will also attempt to move beyond more
established ideas of ‘national natures’. This would include an
investigation of the concept of ecological citizenship, and the inflection
of these debates in scientific, policy-related, and public environmental
practices. We welcome papers that are tackling social and cultural
constructions of natures within the literatures of citizenship, belonging,
and notions of natural ‘dwelling’ and territorial ethics.
Papers may reflect current research on:-
Cosmopolitan natures;
Biosecurity and Citizenship;
Natural Citizenship;
Cultures of race, belonging and borders;
Moral geographies of the native;
Ecological racism.
Cultural geographies of the ‘non-native’
For more information or to submit an abstract (200 words), please contact
either
Kezia Barker [log in to unmask] or
Divya Tolia-Kelly [log in to unmask]
Deadline for abstracts: Wednesday 25th January 2006.
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