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Call for Papers "Language and Territory" International Conference Laurentian University Sudbury, ON (Canada) 29 August - 3 September 2010 __________________________________________________ Languages, as vehicles of history and culture, evolve differently on diverse territories. As such, the significance of a given language varies from one territory to another. The concept of territory, understood in a broad sense, is often used to circumscribe the activity of a language, by imposing either geopolitical and judicial frontiers or social parameters. The “borders” drawn between languages and territories are, however, not impervious. In fact, these borders change through time and space; they are subject to prevailing factors such as the migration of populations, linguistic policies, linguistic and social representations, education, mass media and socio-cultural values. The study of languages and of their territories encompasses the study of the evolution of languages, of their strengths and weaknesses, their vitality and their future. Indeed the interaction between languages and territories is dynamic, at times either harmonious or discordant. Moreover, contact between languages has a profound effect on how speakers understand and conceptualize their language(s) as well as the language(s) of others. The issues arising from language contact are thus diverse, differing widely according to the “territory” on which the contact occurs. The conference Language and Territory proposes to address, in a systematic and analytical fashion, the often tenuous and porous categories of language and territory. Participants may address issues pertaining to: - Language, territory and history - Language, territory and politics - Language, territory and law - Language, territory and education - Language, territory and First Nations - Linguistic policies - Language, territory and religion - Language, territory and identity - Language contact - Sociolinguistic and urban ecology - Literary geography - Language and virtual territory - Language, territory and philosophy - Other themes may be added You are invited to submit a proposal for an individual presentation or a full session (details below). All proposals will be subject to approval by a committee. Forward your proposal, in the indicated form, within the required timeframe, to: [email protected] The deadline for proposals is February 19, 2010. Conference website: http://www.languageandterritory.laurentian.ca __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org __________________________________________________
