CfP ISA 2017 Power and Change in the Humanitarian Space (original) (raw)
Call for Papers: Panel Proposal for ISA 2017 Baltimore, Maryland – 22nd-25th of February Power and Change in the Humanitarian Space While an increasing body of scholarship has addressed the numerous ways in which international humanitarianism has transformed since its birth in the late 19th century—putting notable emphasis on the politicization and bureaucratization of humanitarian action—scholars of international relations have largely ignored the dynamics between and transformations among agents of humanitarianism underlying these shifts. In the extension of critical accounts of humanitarianism which have gone beyond policy-oriented and norms-based approaches, this panel seeks contributions which give greater attention to power dynamics between humanitarian actors themselves as opposed to merely demonstrations of power on subjects of humanitarianism. Namely, how can transformations in humanitarian practices be understood through the analysis of power struggles and conflicts between different categories of humanitarian actors (i.e. HQ vs. field; old vs. new generation; managerial vs. operational; medical vs. non-medical, etc.)? Moreover, far from being neutral organizational adjustments, what are the effects and consequences of internal battles over the legitimate meaning of humanitarianism? This panel strongly welcomes interdisciplinary approaches which highlight the interest of bringing anthropological, historical, and sociological approaches into the study of the international. General themes of interest include: - How can we understand transformations like the professionalization, bureaucratization, and rationalization of humanitarian aid through the lens of power? - To what extent are the emergence of new forms of expertise and professional knowledge within the humanitarian space related to social reconfigurations and redistributions of power among professional groups? - To what extent do the actions of humanitarian actors participate in boundary-making or boundary-crossing, leading to the conservation or the subversion of dominant practices of humanitarianism? Please submit your abstracts (200 words maximum) to monique.beerli@unige.ch by the 23rd of May. Please feel free to contact me for any further questions.
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