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Call for Papers "Social Figurations of Violence and War Beyond the State" Interdisciplinary Workshop Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology Working Group 'Orders of Violence' of the German Political Science Association Halle/Saale (Germany) 21-22 February 2008 __________________________________________________ Organisers: Jutta Bakonyi and Günther Schlee (Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology) Berit Bliesemann de Guevara und Katrin Radtke (Working Group Orders of Violence of the German Political Science Association) Venue: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle/Saale, Germany Weak states, state failure and state decay are catchwords utilised to describe transformations of the global and local political order based on the state. Most of these publications draw on a rather absolutist view of the state, imagining it as the sole founder and main guarantor of law and order and hence the main source of social rules, norms and values guiding the everyday life of its people. Putting into question such state-centric approaches, empirical studies have meanwhile revealed that alternative forms of social regulation and governance may be prevalent under the cover of formal state control, either because the state has not managed or because it has not intended to extend its power into all (peripheral) areas and/or social fields within its demarcated territory. Such social and territorial realms, in which violence is widespread and mainly (though not necessarily exclusively) shaped and regulated by non-state actors, and in which alternative sources of profit, power and legitimacy have been established, are at the centre of this workshop. Areas and societal niches of interest include: - remote/peripheral areas which are spatially and socially distinct from the administrative state centers, - urban niches or ghettos shaped by (juvenile) delinquency and gang violence, - areas of long lasting banditry, - zones of violent conflicts and war. We invite contributions which scrutinise social actions and processes taking place within such realms and/or during violent conflicts and wars and which examine how a variety of social actors violent and non-violent, individual and collective, state and non-state are engaged in these social settings, how they interact, which goals and world-views they follow, and how their interactions (often unintentionally) shape the emergence of structures, social rules and institutions which, in turn, regulate and transform the daily practices within these settings. The workshops overarching aim is to contribute to a deeper understanding of social processes and institutions shaping violent orders beyond the state. For that purpose we would like to bring together scholars from different disciplines and with a variety of ideas, experiences and expertise in this field of study. The following interrelated fields are envisaged for comparisons and in-depth analyses of violent formations: (1) Actors in violent settings: In order to further develop and differentiate typologies of violent formations, the workshop aims at bringing together in-depth studies on 1) violent organisations such as gangs, mafia-type organisations, insurgencies or warlord groups, and 2) non-violent organisations in violent settings, such as business-groups, non-governmental organisations, self-help groups, traditional or religious authorities, intellectuals etc. It is not always easy to distinguish violent from non-violent actors, since people/groups not directly engaged in violence may nonetheless indirectly contribute to its maintenance. Therefore, we would like to invite micro-studies that, on the one hand, address the internal structures and organisational principles, economic foundations and social anchorage of such groups, their strategies to increase local and external support and to find accomplices and recruits, and which, on the other hand, focus on the questions how violent and non-violent organisations interact with each other at local, national and/or international levels, and how these interactions influence dynamics of violence and governance. (2) Violence and legitimacy power and identity: Like all social actions, violence is embedded in a world of meaning. Violent groups use ideological schism, myths, memories, narratives and symbols to gain supporters as well as internal and external legitimacy, and, on the other hand, to define enemies and potential victims. These ideological and symbolic domains provide mechanisms for both inclusion and exclusion, for claiming, according and denying membership and all forms of entitlement. Daily practices and legitimising discourses are, however, not free from inconsistencies and may even contradict each other. Especially the necessity to attract and satisfy external donors and, at the same time, maintain internal support may lead to conflicting narratives and actions. Central questions are, therefore, how violent groups or different strata within violent settings cope with conflicting requirements, and how narratives and mythologies reflect such social realities, guide social actions and/or shape violent dynamics. While current research has addressed the utilitarian, rational sense of violence, the workshop aims at focussing on the under-researched emotional and symbolic aspects of legitimising violence and violent organisations. Heroism, glory, honour/dishonour or shame are emotional drives in many violent settings. Furthermore, as such symbolic means of orientation are also utilised to distinguish insiders from outsiders, friends from foes, (potential) supporters from (potential) enemies, and to determine what it requires and means to be an in- or outsider respectively, they are also deeply connected with the process of group membership, status and identity formation. (3) Violence, subjectivity and the body: In order to lay open the historically and culturally shaped meanings of violence, we need to shift perspectives from what is being done to how things are done. This demands an ethnographic view, a description and analyses of practices, features and modalities of violent acts themselves. One field of such a close elaboration of violent practices is the body. Sociological and historical studies have elaborated on the connection between forms of violence, the body and the creation of the modern subject. While they have outlined that the political economy of the body reflects the microphysics of power in that power relations are inscribed in the body through drill, excruciation and the like, anthropologic studies have contributed further studies on how the body is utilised to define the own self, to demonstrate identity and to mark status, and on how body emblems and markers serve as a medium of communication with close outsiders. (4) Transformations of violent orders: Social figurations of violence and war are dynamic phenomena which may include processes of de-institutionalisation as well as institutionalisation. While studies have concentrated on how formal governance deteriorates into social orders beyond the state, we would like to direct the attention to local dynamics in violent settings that favor the (re-)emergence of governance and state-structures and to examine how local, national and international actors interact and influence local reconstruction. Some violent actors are not able to maintain their power positions while others are quite successful in transforming into non-violent organisations, acting as main political actor of the emergent peaceful political and social order. A closer look at the interactions between violent and non-violent actors in violent settings may reveal the underlying dynamics responsible. We would like to encourage scholars and researchers from different disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, political science, geography and history to send in their proposals. Case studies of current as well as historical cases are both most welcome. Contributions should address a specific context and explore one of the fields outlined above. Proposals should not exceed 3 pages. Travel and accommodation costs of paper-givers will be covered. Deadline for proposal submissions: 31 July 2007 Please send your proposals to Jutta Bakonyi: [email protected] __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org
