Sustainabilities’, Or The Politics of a Many-Faced (not negotiable?) Concept
Workshop RG Circumpolar Regions and Siberia
DGSKA Conference Konstanz, 29.9.-2.10.2019
Submission deadline: 15th of February, 2019
Undoubtedly, ‘sustainability’ has become a widely used buzzword not only in our daily lives, but also on both domestic and international political stages. With regard to the Circumpolar North, it has recently been suggested that “sustainability research in the Arctic has moved to the forefront of intellectual and policy realms” (Petrov et al. 2016: 166).
Historian Jeremy Caradonna remarked that the concept of ‘sustainability’ (‘Nachhaltigkeit’) emerged in the context of conflicts over resources, especially wood, induced by the proto-industrialist economies of Early Modern Europe at the beginning of the 18th century (Caradonna 2014). He did not pay, however, much attention to the political effects of this particular development. In contrast, historian Joachim Radkau argued that the articulation of ‘Nachhaltigkeit’ essentially relates to the emergence of the modern, bureaucratic state and that therefore the invocation of ‘sustainability’ has to be understood in clearly political terms (Radkau & Schäfer 1987; Radkau 2011).
In line with this rather critical stance towards ‘sustainability’, we propose to shift attention to the politics of its invocation: What are the consequences of the introduction of the concept in specific ethnographic settings? What kinds of actors are mobilized and what types of alliances are formed (e.g. NGOs, governmental organizations etc.)? How do these actors deal with potentially different notions of ‘sustainability’? How does ‘sustainability’ relate to the emergence of intensive resource extraction and the (colonial) bureaucratic state? To what extent do invocations of ‘sustainability’ shape the discursive frames of political processes, limiting the field of potential articulations of ‘collectivity’?
The proposed workshop explicitly attempts at breaching narrow regional as well as disciplinary perspectives and therefore welcomes contributions not only from other parts of the globe, but also from related disciplines.
Organisers: Andreas Womelsdorf, Joachim Otto Habeck, Gertrude Saxinger (RG-Coordinators)
https://dgv-zirkumpolar-sibirien.jimdo.com/
Please note that the "two-role" rule applies to presentations, the organisation of workshops or roundtables, and the role of discussant: each conference participant is allowed to take on roles in a maximum of two categories (presentation, discussant, the organisation and chairing of a workshop or roundtable); it is not possible to take on two roles in the same category. Please send a text of max. 1.200 characters (incl. spaces) and also a short version of max. 300 characters (incl. spaces) directly to the workshop organizer(s). Deadline: 02/15/2019 ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS: Andreas Womelsdorf: aawomelsdorf@gmail.com
The DGSKA RG Circumpolar Regions and Siberia hosts the following workshop at the DGSKA conference in Cologne. Submit your abstract until 15 January 2025
P014: Changing practices of commoning and egalitarian relations in the Arctic and Siberia: New forms of governance and social activism
Hosts: Sophie Elixhauser, Otto Habeck, Gertrude Saxinger
Format: in-person only (no option for hybrid or online participation)
Arctic societies’ legacy of egalitarian relations and commoning has been impacted by colonial governance. We explore new practices of commoning in line with self-determination, cultural revitalisation, and environmental justice. We ask how ideas of egalitarianism inform current modes of activism.
Long Abstract:
Practices of commoning and egalitarian relations in the Arctic and Siberia have changed significantly over time. Both concepts emphasise shared responsibility, collective decision-making, and equality. In pre-colonial societies, commoning practices involved the shared use, management and control of resources. Egalitarian relations were manifested in minimal social hierarchies, flexible gender roles, relatively equal distribution of power, and respect for the autonomy of each person (human and non-human). However, the image of all northern societies as egalitarian has also been challenged, so the concept of egalitarianism may require a reassessment. With the arrival of colonial powers, new social, economic, and legal frameworks were imposed that often conflicted with Indigenous ways of life: the introduction of private property, centralised resource management, hierarchical governance, and rigid gender norms. Today, many groups in the Arctic and Siberia are working to revive commoning practices. These resonate with broader movements for self-determination, cultural revitalisation, and environmental justice. New such practices have also emerged, including forms of self-governance or self-reliance projects involving young people and aimed at alleviating social problems. Relevant questions are:
- To what extent do current political and social systems incorporate, or are willing to incorporate egalitarian values?
- What new forms of commoning and egalitarian relations are emerging?
- How do practices and discourses of commoning and egalitarian values differ across generations, genders, and different forms of social and economic organisation?
- How are people in the North re-imagining their respective histories? How does this influence current approaches to governance and activism?
How to submit your abstract:
Paper proposals must consist of a paper title, the name(s) and email address(es) of author(s), a short abstract of less than 300 characters and a long abstract of less than 250 words.
Please note: All proposals must be submitted via the online form in the panel list, not by email. Please visit the “Panel List” and scroll down to our workshop P014. There is a ‘propose’ link below the long abstract of the panel page and also next to the title of the panel. Click on the proposal link to submit your proposal directly to our panel.
The conference is in-person only (no option for hybrid or online participation)