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Call for Papers Theme: Political Theory on Refugees Type: International Conference Institution: Working Group Democracy and Flight, Network Refugee Research Transcultural and Comparative Political Theory Group, German Association for Political Science University of Augsburg Location: Augsburg (Germany) Date: 17.̣–18.11.2016 Deadline: 15.1.2016 __________________________________________________ Political exclusion and the resulting struggle es for inclusion have been in the focus of political theory in general and of democracy theory in particular for a long time. Hence, the aim of this conference is to identify theoretical concepts which focus on the problem of inclusion and exclusion and could, thereby, be an important contribution to refugee studies. Even when these concepts do not genuinely refer to refugees, they could certainly help to address the problems linked to flight and exclusion accurately. Thus, the possibilities of a beneficial argumentative exchange on the topic of refugees can be enhanced. Participants are invited to “use” political theories in order to transcend the empirical ques-tion about ‘what is’ and rather ask ‘what should be’. Doing so, it will be possible to criticize our perception of the problem and, thus, also brings in new consequences for the problem solving. For instance, if one understands refugees as a characteristic feature of a more and more globalized world and, hence, as an inevitable challenge for modern societies and their ability to integrate, one quickly exceeds the perception of refugees as a short-term administrative problem. In consequence, questions are raised about proper integra-tion and representation modi as well as about our responsibility towards strangers and ways of transcultural communication. Hence, it gives us new perceptions and narrations for a new, global and maybe even cosmopolitan self-understanding. Contributions may consult concepts of representation theory, democracy theory as well as hegemony theory, postcolonial theory, work on transcultural conceptions and communita-rianism etc.in order to successfully apply them to refugee studies or address questions like: Does the democratic idea call for the representation of refugees and why? Which kind of representation theoretical and empirical could be best to include refugees’ demands? Which democratic practices and institutions could be extended or opened for refugees? Which level of representation would be best, local, regional, European, or global? Which are the transcultural challenges that can emerge when refugees are integrated in modern democracies? Please send abstracts (250 – 300 words) for twenty-minute papers (in English) along with the name of your institution to [email protected] no later than January 15, 2016. Depending on the composition of participants, the conference will be either held in German or English. We expect every participant to be ready to present his or her paper in English. Keynote speaker: Matthew Gibney, Oxford University Convenors: Sybille De La Rosa (Heidelberg University) Melanie Frank (University of Augsburg) Viktoria Hügel (University of Brighton) Working Group Democracy and Flight: Political Theories on Refugees http://fluechtlingsforschung.net/ak/demokratie/ Transcultural and Comparative Political Theory Group http://www.dvpw.de/index.php?id=639&L=1 Conference website: http://fluechtlingsforschung.net/ak/demokratie/call-for-papers-political-theory-on-refugees/ __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org __________________________________________________
