44th Annual Conference of the Association for Canadian Studies in German-speaking Countries (GKS)
March 3-5, 2023, in Grainau, Germany
Deadline: May 15, 2022 Deadline extended to June 5, 2022!
With the theme „Solidarities. Networks – Convivialities – Confrontations“, the annual conference of the Association for Canadian Studies in German-speaking Countries (GKS) will be devoted to the forms and practices of solidarity in Canada and Quebec. It will examine not only the networks and forms of cohabitation that result from them, but also the inherent potential for conflict. The chosen perspective is interdisciplinary, from the angle of Francophone and Anglophone cultural, literary, and linguistic studies, historical sciences, political sciences and sociology, geography and economics, anthropology, and Indigenous studies, as well as women’s and gender studies.
Since the 1980s, following the acceleration of globalization and the establishment of the (neo)liberal paradigm, the question of solidarity no longer seemed to have a place on the political and social scene. However, in societies marked by interculturality and diversity, such as those of Canada and Quebec, this question has remained very relevant in the practices of cohabitation of different groups. It also arises in international solidarity networks, for example in the context of anti-/alter-globalization, ecological, LGBTQIA+, or anti-racist movements. Moreover, the COVID-19 crisis has also led to the emergence or updating in Canada and Quebec of discourses on intergenerational and interprofessional forms of solidarity and on solidarity mobilizations. However, the crisis has also shown their limits and the potential conflicts between the different social discourses related to them. Therefore, the theme of solidarities regarding the networks, confrontations, and forms of conviviality that it implies will be explored along three axes: solidarity and society, solidarity and space, and solidarity and artistic and cultural expressions.
Solidarity and society
This axis explores the political, social, economic, and historical dimensions of solidarity. At the societal level, solidarity can be seen primarily as a political concept aimed at organizing living together, but also as an ideological and controversial discourse; for example, when the originally left-leaning term „national solidarity“ is mobilized within the context of identity politics. In Canada, the concept of „national solidarity community“ is particularly complex and often conflicting. In addition to Canada, Quebec has also considered itself a „nation“ since the 19th century, and alongside it, the various First Nations have emerged in recent decades as new political actors with growing political claims.
From a political and historical perspective, the theme of solidarity continues to raise the question of the international role of Canada and Quebec, as well as the conceptions and objectives associated with it. Thus, the official image of Canada as a key soft power actor is opposed by critical voices, especially within Canadian society.
Thus, the following themes could be addressed, among others:
- The role of Canada and Quebec in international networks
- Discourses on international solidarity and their questioning
- Forms of solidarity communities and the identity constructions linked to them
- Practices of conviviality and solidarity as well as potential conflicts within and between different types of communities, e.g. migrants, women, First Nations, queer solidarities, disabled people
- Forms of solidarity within and with First Nations
- Protest movements and their national and international networking
- Interactions or confrontations between social partners
- The role of moments of crisis (e.g. Covid19) in the development of solidarities or confrontations (e.g. the truckers‘ demonstrations in Ottawa in January/February 2022)
- Corporate social responsibility and sustainability in business contexts
- Alternative models, life projects and practices of solidarity, for example in the sharing economy or in forms of urban and rural solidarities
Solidarity and space
Solidarities – and conflicts – take place and shape in a variety of spatial settings, and space is a factor in configuring either in specific forms. Urban settings in particular provide ample examples of special communities forming, of conflicts emerging, of needs and demands for solidarity being clearly voiced. Where poverty and exclusion, ethnic or racial discrimination become starkly visible, a variety of state as well as private actors and institutions become active, communities as well as intra- and inter-communal solidarities may emerge and evolve. In other spatial settings of dispersal and diaspora, different forms and processes of solidarity will get established – or not.
The following topics could thus be developed, also from a historical perspective:
- Forms of conflict and solidarity in Canadian cities
- Ethnic/linguistic/religious minorities in different spatial settings in Canada: forms of organization, identity-building, solidarities
- Solidarity with the world beyond Canada
- The impact of local / regional environments and settings on forms of solidarity, cooperation and cohabitation within and between different communities (e.g. the Arctic / Grand North, the Prairies, the coasts…)
- Conviviality and convivialism, but also confrontations and tensions between humans and nature as well as human and non-human life forms
Solidarity and language/literature/media
Language, literature, and other media are important for the representation of different forms of solidarity. These range from the representation of national and regional conceptions of identity, to the representation of protest and resistance movements, to the fictionalization of transnational cultural spaces such as francophonie and americanité.
Possible contributions in this framework include, among others:
- Literary and media representations (traditional and social media) of (practices of) solidarity and its/their negotiation
- Historical and current representations of regional and cultural-linguistic forms of solidarity, for example in the context of the „Acadian Reunion“ or militant First Nations protest movements since the 1980s
- The literature of care, which raises the question of responsibility towards the Other and intergenerational solidarity
- The linguistic situation in Canada from a perspective of confrontation and/or solidarity: English or French as a lingua franca and the related forms of inclusion and exclusion/ vehicularity/vernacularity of the languages of migration
- Networks of solidarity between different linguistic communities and their literatures
Contact and Abstract Submission
Paper proposals/abstracts of max. 500 words can be submitted in French or English and should outline:
- methodology and theoretical approaches chosen
- content/body of research
- which of the three main axes outlined above the paper speaks to (if any)
In addition, some short biographical information (max. 250 words) should be provided, specifying current institutional affiliation and position as well as research background with regard to the conference topic and/or three main axes.
Abstracts should be submitted no later than June 5, 2022 to the GKS office: gks@kanada-studien.de
44th Annual Conference of the Association for Canadian Studies in German-speaking Countries (GKS)
March 3-5, 2023, in Grainau, Germany
Deadline: May 15, 2022 Deadline extended to June 5, 2022!
With the theme „Solidarities. Networks – Convivialities – Confrontations“, the annual conference of the Association for Canadian Studies in German-speaking Countries (GKS) will be devoted to the forms and practices of solidarity in Canada and Quebec. It will examine not only the networks and forms of cohabitation that result from them, but also the inherent potential for conflict. The chosen perspective is interdisciplinary, from the angle of Francophone and Anglophone cultural, literary, and linguistic studies, historical sciences, political sciences and sociology, geography and economics, anthropology, and Indigenous studies, as well as women’s and gender studies.
Since the 1980s, following the acceleration of globalization and the establishment of the (neo)liberal paradigm, the question of solidarity no longer seemed to have a place on the political and social scene. However, in societies marked by interculturality and diversity, such as those of Canada and Quebec, this question has remained very relevant in the practices of cohabitation of different groups. It also arises in international solidarity networks, for example in the context of anti-/alter-globalization, ecological, LGBTQIA+, or anti-racist movements. Moreover, the COVID-19 crisis has also led to the emergence or updating in Canada and Quebec of discourses on intergenerational and interprofessional forms of solidarity and on solidarity mobilizations. However, the crisis has also shown their limits and the potential conflicts between the different social discourses related to them. Therefore, the theme of solidarities regarding the networks, confrontations, and forms of conviviality that it implies will be explored along three axes: solidarity and society, solidarity and space, and solidarity and artistic and cultural expressions.
Solidarity and society
This axis explores the political, social, economic, and historical dimensions of solidarity. At the societal level, solidarity can be seen primarily as a political concept aimed at organizing living together, but also as an ideological and controversial discourse; for example, when the originally left-leaning term „national solidarity“ is mobilized within the context of identity politics. In Canada, the concept of „national solidarity community“ is particularly complex and often conflicting. In addition to Canada, Quebec has also considered itself a „nation“ since the 19th century, and alongside it, the various First Nations have emerged in recent decades as new political actors with growing political claims.
From a political and historical perspective, the theme of solidarity continues to raise the question of the international role of Canada and Quebec, as well as the conceptions and objectives associated with it. Thus, the official image of Canada as a key soft power actor is opposed by critical voices, especially within Canadian society.
Thus, the following themes could be addressed, among others:
- The role of Canada and Quebec in international networks
- Discourses on international solidarity and their questioning
- Forms of solidarity communities and the identity constructions linked to them
- Practices of conviviality and solidarity as well as potential conflicts within and between different types of communities, e.g. migrants, women, First Nations, queer solidarities, disabled people
- Forms of solidarity within and with First Nations
- Protest movements and their national and international networking
- Interactions or confrontations between social partners
- The role of moments of crisis (e.g. Covid19) in the development of solidarities or confrontations (e.g. the truckers‘ demonstrations in Ottawa in January/February 2022)
- Corporate social responsibility and sustainability in business contexts
- Alternative models, life projects and practices of solidarity, for example in the sharing economy or in forms of urban and rural solidarities
Solidarity and space
Solidarities – and conflicts – take place and shape in a variety of spatial settings, and space is a factor in configuring either in specific forms. Urban settings in particular provide ample examples of special communities forming, of conflicts emerging, of needs and demands for solidarity being clearly voiced. Where poverty and exclusion, ethnic or racial discrimination become starkly visible, a variety of state as well as private actors and institutions become active, communities as well as intra- and inter-communal solidarities may emerge and evolve. In other spatial settings of dispersal and diaspora, different forms and processes of solidarity will get established – or not.
The following topics could thus be developed, also from a historical perspective:
- Forms of conflict and solidarity in Canadian cities
- Ethnic/linguistic/religious minorities in different spatial settings in Canada: forms of organization, identity-building, solidarities
- Solidarity with the world beyond Canada
- The impact of local / regional environments and settings on forms of solidarity, cooperation and cohabitation within and between different communities (e.g. the Arctic / Grand North, the Prairies, the coasts…)
- Conviviality and convivialism, but also confrontations and tensions between humans and nature as well as human and non-human life forms
Solidarity and language/literature/media
Language, literature, and other media are important for the representation of different forms of solidarity. These range from the representation of national and regional conceptions of identity, to the representation of protest and resistance movements, to the fictionalization of transnational cultural spaces such as francophonie and americanité.
Possible contributions in this framework include, among others:
- Literary and media representations (traditional and social media) of (practices of) solidarity and its/their negotiation
- Historical and current representations of regional and cultural-linguistic forms of solidarity, for example in the context of the „Acadian Reunion“ or militant First Nations protest movements since the 1980s
- The literature of care, which raises the question of responsibility towards the Other and intergenerational solidarity
- The linguistic situation in Canada from a perspective of confrontation and/or solidarity: English or French as a lingua franca and the related forms of inclusion and exclusion/ vehicularity/vernacularity of the languages of migration
- Networks of solidarity between different linguistic communities and their literatures
Contact and Abstract Submission
Paper proposals/abstracts of max. 500 words can be submitted in French or English and should outline:
- methodology and theoretical approaches chosen
- content/body of research
- which of the three main axes outlined above the paper speaks to (if any)
In addition, some short biographical information (max. 250 words) should be provided, specifying current institutional affiliation and position as well as research background with regard to the conference topic and/or three main axes.
Abstracts should be submitted no later than June 5, 2022 to the GKS office: gks@kanada-studien.de
44e Colloque annuel de l’Association d’études canadiennes dans les pays germanophones (GKS)
3-5 mars 2023, à Grainau, Allemagne
Date limite : 15 mai 2022 La date limite a été prolonguée jusqu’au 5 juin 2022!
Avec le thème « Solidarités. Réseaux – Convivialités – Confrontations », le congrès annuel de l’Association d’études canadiennes dans les pays germanophones (GKS) sera consacré aux formes et aux pratiques de la solidarité au Canada et au Québec. Il s’interrogera sur les réseaux et les formes de cohabitation qui en découlent, mais aussi sur les potentiels de conflits inhérents. La perspective choisie est interdisciplinaire, sous l’angle des sciences culturelles, littéraires et linguistiques francophones et anglophones, des sciences historiques, des sciences politiques et de la sociologie, de la géographie et des sciences économiques, de l’anthropologie, des études autochtones ainsi que des études des femmes et les genres.
Depuis les années 1980, suite à l’accélération de la mondialisation et à la mise en place du paradigme (néo)libéral, la question de la solidarité ne semblait plus avoir de place sur la scène politique et sociale. Pourtant, dans des sociétés marquées par l’interculturalité et la diversité comme celles du Canada et du Québec, cette question reste/devient très pertinente dans les pratiques de cohabitation de différents groupes. Elle se pose également dans les réseaux de solidarité internationale, par exemple dans le contexte de la critique de la mondialisation, des mouvements écologiques, LGTBIQ* ou antiracistes. Par ailleurs, la crise du COVID19 a également fait émerger ou actualisé au Canada et au Québec des discours sur les formes de solidarité intergénérationnelles et interprofessionnelles et sur les mobilisations solidaires. Elle a toutefois aussi montré leurs limites et les conflits potentiels entre différents discours sociaux qui y sont liés. C’est pourquoi le thème des solidarités, au regard des réseaux, des confrontations et des formes de convivialisme qu’il implique, sera exploré selon trois axes : solidarité et société, solidarité et espace, solidarité et expressions artistiques et culturelles.
Solidarité et société
Cet axe explore les dimensions politiques, sociales, économiques et historiques de la solidarité. Au niveau de la société, la solidarité peut d’abord être considérée comme un concept politique visant à organiser la vie en commun, mais aussi comme un discours idéologique et controversé, par exemple lorsque le terme, à l’origine plutôt situé à gauche, est mobilisé en tant que « solidarité nationale » dans le contexte de la politique identitaire. Au Canada, le concept de « communauté de solidarité nationale » se présente de manière particulièrement complexe et souvent conflictuelle. En effet, outre le Canada, le Québec se considère lui aussi comme une « nation » depuis le XIXe siècle ; et à ses côtés, les différentes Premières Nations sont apparues au cours des dernières décennies comme de nouveaux acteurs politiques aux revendications politiques croissantes.
Dans une perspective politique et historique, le thème de la solidarité continue de soulever la question du rôle international du Canada et du Québec, ainsi que des conceptions et des objectifs qui y sont associés. Ainsi, à l’image officielle d’acteur déterminant dans le cadre du soft power s’opposent des voix critiques, surtout au sein de la société canadienne.
Ainsi, les thèmes suivants pourraient entre autres être abordés :
- Le rôle du Canada et du Québec dans des réseaux internationaux
- Les discours sur la solidarité internationale et leur remise en question
- Les formes de communautés solidaires et les constructions identitaires qui y sont liées
- Les pratiques de convivialité et de solidarité ainsi que les conflits potentiels dans et entre différents types de communautés, par ex. des migrants, des femmes, des Premières Nations, des queer solidarities, les personnes handicapées
- Les formes de solidarité au sein de et avec les Premières Nations
- Les mouvements de protestation et leur mise en réseau nationale et internationale
- L’interaction ou les confrontations entre les partenaires sociaux
- Le rôle de moments de crise (p.e. la Covid19) dans le développement de solidarités ou de confrontations (p.e. les manifestations de camionneurs à Ottawa en janvier/février 2022)
- La gestion de la responsabilité sociale et de la durabilité dans les entreprises
- Les modèles, les projets de vie et les pratiques de solidarité alternatifs, par exemple dans le cadre l’économie de partage ou encore des solidarités urbaines et des solidarités rurales
Solidarité et espace
Les solidarités – et les conflits – prennent place et forme dans une variété de cadres spatiaux, et l’espace est un facteur de configuration spécifique de ceux-ci. Les milieux urbains, en particulier, offrent de nombreux exemples de communautés spéciales qui se forment, de conflits qui émergent, de besoins et de demandes de solidarité qui s’articulent clairement. Là où la pauvreté et l’exclusion, la discrimination ethnique ou raciale sont clairement visibles, une variété d’acteurs et d’institutions publics et privés deviennent actifs et des communautés ainsi que des solidarités intra et intercommunautaires peuvent émerger et évoluer. Dans d’autres contextes spatiaux de dispersion et de diaspora, différentes formes et processus de solidarité s’établiront – ou non.
Les thèmes suivants pourraient donc être développés, également dans une perspective historique :
- Les formes de conflit et de solidarité dans les villes canadiennes
- Les minorités ethniques/linguistiques/religieuses dans différents contextes spatiaux au Canada : formes d’organisation, constructions d’identité, solidarités
- La solidarité avec le monde au-delà du Canada
- L’impact des environnements et des contextes locaux / régionaux sur les formes de solidarité, de coopération et de cohabitation au sein et entre différentes communautés (par exemple, l’Arctique / Grand Nord, les Prairies, les côtes…)
- La convivialité et le convivialisme, mais aussi les confrontations et les tensions entre les humains et la nature, les formes de vie humaines et non-humaines
Solidarité et langues/littérature/médias
La langue, la littérature et d’autres médias constituent des supports de représentation importants des différentes formes de solidarités. Celles-ci vont de la représentation de conceptions identitaires nationales et régionales à la représentation de mouvements de protestation et de résistance, en passant par la fictionnalisation d’espaces culturels transnationaux comme la francophonie et l’américanité.
Les contributions envisageables dans ce cadre incluent entre autres :
- Les représentations littéraires et médiatiques (médias traditionnels et sociaux) de (pratiques de) la solidarité et de sa/leur négociation
- Les représentations historiques et actuelles de formes de solidarité régionales et culturelles-linguistiques, par exemple dans le contexte des « Retrouvailles acadiennes » ou des mouvements de protestation militants des Premières Nations depuis les années 1980
- La littérature du care, qui se pose la question de la responsabilité vis-à-vis de l’Autre et de la solidarité intergénérationnelle
- La situation linguistique au Canada dans une perspective de confrontation et/ou de solidarité : l’anglais ou le français comme lingua franca et les formes d’inclusion et d’exclusion qui y sont liées ; véhicularité/vernicularité des langues de la migration
- Les réseaux de solidarité entre différentes communautés linguistiques et leurs littératures
Contact et soumission des résumés
Les propositions d’article/résumés de 500 mots maximum peuvent être soumis soit en français soit en anglais et doivent souligner :
- la méthodologie et les approches théoriques choisies
- le contenu/ le corpus de recherche
- l’aspect (choisi parmi les trois mentionnés plus haut) traité par le résumé
Également doivent être fournies quelques brèves informations biographiques (250 mots maximum), spécifiant votre actuelle affiliation institutionnelle, votre position actuelle, ainsi que votre expérience de recherche en rapport avec le sujet du congrès et/ou des trois aspects principaux.
Les résumés sont à soumettre à l’administration de la GKS au plus tard le 5 juin 2022 : gks@kanada-studien.de
