Submission deadline 25 JANUARY 2008
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Re-Engaging Development in a Post-Development Era?
April 13-14, 2008
Clark University, Graduate School of Geography
Worcester, MA.
The call for a post-development era by critical theorists and practitioners has
left the field of development studies in uncertain terrain. Critiques of
development have worked to re-envision the relationships between the developed
and developing world, the role of development institutions, and hegemony of
neoliberal economic theory. Other challenges have addressed development
practice itself, including identifying the multiple factors that result in
development failures. Development interventions often face issues that restrict
either their success or the scope of their activities. While most development
projects undergo extensive pre-planning, such activities are often limited to
the funding or executive institution. Regardless of the theoretical and policy
critiques, many scholars argue that it remains a continued challenge to
critically engage with development programs and identify their strengths,
weaknesses and prospects in the planning and evaluation stages. Such efforts
highlight the important contributions geographic approaches can make to
development, and open opportunities for engagement with policymakers that might
result in projects and policies that better meet the needs of their ostensible
constituents.
The focus of the 2008 International Development Conference will be on
questioning whether development studies can or should pursue a renewed
engagement with the project of international development. We are interested in
organized panel sessions that draw from multiple fields, including:
-post-conflict development
-post-colonial development
-community-based resource strategies
-political ecology and development
-urban and regional development
-post-transition development
-migration and population issues
-gender and development
-identity and development
-democracy and ethnicity
-anti-development/critical development
-development theory
-culture and development
-food security
-resistance
-sustainability science and technology
-development policy
Individuals may submit abstracts for consideration in either panels or papers.
We encourage panel sessions so as to include as many participants as possible.
Individuals who wish to attend but not present may proceed directly to the
registration page of the blog (http://developingareas.blogspot.com).
Organizers will group panelists together based on common themes. Individuals who
wish to contribute to a panel should submit a 150 word abstract and a list of
key words. Organizers of panels should submit a 250-word abstract describing the
title and topic and a list of participants.
Individual papers (15-20 mins. in length) and organized sessions of either 4
papers and a discussant or 5 papers will also be considered. Organizers of
paper sessions should submit a title and 250-word panel abstract, as well as
titles and 250-word abstracts for each paper. Individual paper submissions
should include a title and 250-word abstract.
All submissions should be sent to Jeff Bury (e-mail: [log in to unmask]) NO LATER
THAN 25 JANUARY 2008.
Selections will be announced shortly thereafter. Please remember to register for
the conference (see registration page of the blog
http://developingareas.blogspot.com) NO LATER THAN 15 February 2008.
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