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Call for Papers "Methodologies in Peace Research: Exploring methodological, empirical and ethical aspects of research into peace, conflict and division" Centre for Peace Studies, University of Tromsø Tampere Peace Research Institute (TAPRI) Tromsø (Norway) 21-23 March 2007 __________________________________________________ Conference theme This conference addresses the critical and timely issues of research methodologies in peace and conflict studies, including empirical and ethical aspects of research into peace, conflict and division, widely defined. Despite the substantial body of literature about research methods and the high level of interest and activity in peace research, little attention has been explicitly devoted to research methodologies in peace research. There are few easily accessible or available academic works, journal articles or textbooks which deal specifically with the methodological, empirical, safety and ethical challenges of carrying out research in areas of tension and stress or into post conflict and divided societies. Furthermore, contemporary international debates are increasingly focussing on the perceived and consequential threats to peace posed by terrorism, extremism and immigration in stable societies. State/society relations and socio-economic/spatial divisions in post-conflict and more stable societies are also becoming a prevalent focus in peace research. These issues and debates contribute to widening the definition and remit of traditional notions of peace research and overcome previous definitional challenges to broaden the remit of topics that have a positive contribution to make to peace studies research and academic debate. This conference aims to be inclusive and wide ranging. Contributions are sought from a wide range of disciplines and is likely to be of interest not only to those already located in a peace studies environment but also to, for example, historians, criminologists, urban scholars, legal scholars, sociologists, political scientists, psychologists, qualitative and quantitative researchers, policy makers and experienced and novice researchers. Conference goals The conference provides an opportunity to reflect upon methodological, safety and ethical issues in research in peace, conflict and division, widely defined. One objective is to explore methodologies in the context of actual research projects from a range of substantive topics and so this conference attempts to provide an overarching approach to peace research which transcends fixed disciplinary thinking. The conference also provides a forum to consider research methodologies per se and their application in peace research. This conference aims to fill a gap in the academic arena by explicitly making a connection between the subjects of peace in dangerous and not so dangerous places and research methodologies a connection which has previously received little attention despite the prominence of high profile research agendas in the subject of peace studies and associated relevant topics. The linking of methodologies with peace research provides an opportunity to explore relevant topics and important issues encountered during the research process, from outset to completion, in addition to looking beyond disciplines and topics to explore research methods per se. Examples of the types of issues likely to be explored are: - Planning research in areas of tension and conflict - Dealing with difficult situations and dangerous places - The limitations and challenges of methods used in peace research - New and innovative ways of using methods and multi-method techniques in peace research - Ethical and safety issues - Collecting, handling and analysing sensitive data - Generating theory from sensitive data - Decision making strategies and adapting methods during fieldwork Submission information Please email abstracts of proposed papers and queries about papers to Diane Lister at <[email protected]> and Frank Möller at <[email protected]> by 15th January 2007. Abstracts should be a maximum of 250 words with double spaced pages. All accepted presentations will be published in a conference report that will be part of the CPS Working Papers. The conference has two keynote speakers: - Stein Tønnesson, Director, International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO) - Dermont Feenan, Lecturer, School of law, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland Contact: Diane Lister Centre for Peace Studies Faculty of Social Science University of Tromsø N-9037 Tromsø Norway Tel: +47 77 64 65 45 Fax: +47 77 64 59 19 Email: [email protected] Web: http://uit.no/cps/3774/11 __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org
