Working Group 2

Working Group 2

Postcolonial Europe

The scope of this working group is to deconstruct Europe from within by intertwining feminism with postcolonial studies, race theories and studies on whiteness and religion. To deconstruct Europe as a postcolonial place does not imply that Europe’s imperial past is over, but on the contrary that Europe’s idea of self, and of its polity, is still struggling with the continuing hold of colonialist and imperialist attitudes. To deconstruct Europe is, therefore, necessary as its definition is now contested more than ever, both internally (through the proliferation of ethnic, religious, regional differences) and externally (Europe expanding its boundaries but closing its borders).

The main objective of this working group is to account for historical legacies which have been denied, forgotten or silenced, such as the histories of minor and peripheral colonialisms (Nordic colonialisms or Austrian, Spanish and Italian colonialism) and to account for the realities of geographical margins within Europe, such as the Mediterranean and the Eastern border while tracing alternative models for solidarity and conviviality.

Drawing from different disciplinary backgrounds and methodological traditions the working group creates spaces for comparative and cross-disciplinary exchanges.

This implies that participants from both the humanities and social sciences are more than welcome operating for example at the crossroads of gender, history, media studies, literature, postcolonial theory, transnational feminism, conflict studies, international relations, intersectionality, migration studies, sociology, anthropology, history of art to mention but a few.

The working group has identified 4 major focus areas of research:

• Migration and Media
• Racism and Colonial legacies
• Cosmopolitianism and Citizenship
• Secularism and Post-secularism in a Global Age

The working groups is presenting 3 panels for the 8th European Feminist Research Conference in Budapest (17-20 May 2012):

• Postcolonial Europe1: Colonial Legacises From Past to the Present

Coordinator: Kristín Loftsdóttir  (University Of Iceland)

• Postcolonial Europe2: Rethinking Cinematic Spaces and Affects

Coordinator: Sandra Ponzanesi (Utrecht University, The Netherlands)

• Postcolonial Europe3: Conceptual Cartographies.

Coordinator: Eva Federmayer (Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary)

Coordinators: Sandra Ponzanesi (Utrecht University, The Netherlands); Kristín Loftsdóttir (University Of Iceland); Brigitte Hipfl (University of Klagenfurt, Austria)

Here find the working group “Postcolonial Europe” dissemination outputs.

If you would like to join this group please send a request to info@atgender.eu
Please, Include the Working Group number in the subject area + “REQUEST”