Dear All,



We invite paper proposals for our panel P115 ‘Other Worlds, Other Bodies?

Ethnography, Experience and Epistemological Embodiment’ to be held at the 16th EASA Biennial Conference, 21-24 July 2020, Lisbon.



Convenors:

Emily Pierini (University of Wales Trinity Saint David)

Alberto Groisman (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina)



Chair:

Diana Espírito Santo (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile)



Panel short abstract:

This panel addresses the plurality of spiritual experiences of people who recognise the existence of other worlds that may intersect or not with the material or physical world. It discusses how researchers may express their own experiences of embodiment in the academic field.



Long abstract:

When ethnographers approach the plurality of spiritual manifestations and experiences of the people who participate in their research, they often note that these people recognise the existence of other worlds that may intersect or not with the so-called material or physical world. However, these other worlds are often approached as phenomena of 'culture' or the 'mind', questioning in this way these native ontologies. Many ethnographers end up reifying these experiences as 'symbolic'. The projection of personal experience onto a symbolic dimension may be the outcome of a resistance to embodying 'mysticism' in their lives or professional trajectories, which is a 'rationalist' way of approaching these other worlds from the standpoint of a science that seeks an epistemic homogeneity. A symptom of this resistance to 'mediumistic incorporation' and more generally to a phenomenon considered to be spiritual, are spiritual experiences categorised as 'paranormal'. Beyond being an ethnographic and methodological inconsistency, approaching the 'spiritual' as 'paranormal' reflects an epistemological resistance to recognising ontological multiplicity as a condition for ethnographic knowledge. This panel discusses how researchers may find ways to legitimately express their own experiences of embodiment in the 'academic field'—reflecting in particular upon 'epistemological embodiment', or how these experiences may impact their conceptions of science and knowledge and how they are produced. These reflections can make the dialogues and coexistence between researchers and their research participants more fluid, fruitful and symmetrical, as well as they may inform ethnographies able to tackle spiritual experiences which problematize conventionalisms and homogeneities.



Abstract submission: https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/easa2020/p/8645#


Deadline: January 20th, 2020



This panel is an initiative of the Spirituality, Health, Embodiment, Ethnography Research Network (INCT Brasil Plural).




Dr Emily Pierini

Religious Experience Research Centre
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
Lampeter, UK
[log in to unmask]
http://lamp.academia.edu/EmilyPierini

Latest publications:

Book: Jaguars of the Dawn: Spirit Mediumship in the Brazilian Vale do Amanhecer (New York; Oxford: Berghahn) https://www.berghahnbooks.com/title/9781789205657

Healing and Therapeutic Trajectories among the Spirit Mediums of the Brazilian Vale do Amanhecer, International Journal of Latin American Religions, http://rdcu.be/8PpM

Fieldwork in Religion: Bodily Experience and Ethnographic Knowledge, JSRE Special Issue, http://rerc-journal.tsd.ac.uk/index.php/religiousexp/issue/view/4


Becoming a Spirit Medium: Initiatory Learning and the Self in the Vale do Amanhecer, Ethnos,
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00141844.2014.929598

*************************************************************
*           Anthropology-Matters Mailing List
*  http://www.anthropologymatters.com            *
* A postgraduate project comprising online journal,    *
* online discussions, teaching and research resources  *
* and international contacts directory.               *
* To join this list or to look at the archived previous       *
* messages visit:                                             *
* https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/Anthropology-Matters   *
* If you have ALREADY subscribed: to send a message to all    *
* those currently subscribed to the list,just send mail to:   *
*        [log in to unmask]                  *
*                                                             *
*       Enjoyed the mailing list? Why not join the new        *
*       CONTACTS SECTION @ www.anthropologymatters.com        *
*    an international directory of anthropology researchers *




To unsubscribe please click here:
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=ANTHROPOLOGY-MATTERS&A=1

***************************************************************