CALL FOR PAPERS : The Interdisciplinary Promise of Anarchist Geographies, Anarchist Studies Network, 4th International Conference Loughborough University, U.K. – 14-16 September 2016

Anarchist Studies Network, 4th International Conference Loughborough University, U.K. – 14-16 September 2016

http://anarchist-studies-network.org.uk/

Session : The Interdisciplinary Promise of Anarchist Geographies

Organisers

Richard J White (Richard.White@shu.ac.uk ) Federico Ferretti (Federico.Ferretti@ucd.ie ) and Anthony Ince (InceA@cardiff.ac.uk )

Call for Papers

“Such revolutionary ideas clearly have strong implications for the organization of a space-economy ; in fact, their implementation requires the creation of an entirely new landscape." (Myrna Breitbart 1975 : 44)

At a time of unfolding intersectional crises - political, economic, social, and environmental crises - a vigorous and exciting resurgence of anarchist praxis within human geography continues to gain momentum and visibility. The positioning of anarchist geography/ers at the cutting edge(s) of critical praxis has been evident in many ways, not least with notable special issues dedicated to anarchist geographies, including Antipode (Springer et al. 2012) ; and ACME : An International E-Journal for Critical Geographies (Anarchist and Autonomous Marxist Geographies). A significant trilogy dedicated to anarchist geography, focusing in particular on The Radicalization of Pedagogy (Springer et al, 2016) ; Theories of Resistance (Souza et al, 2016) ; The Practice of Freedom (White et al, 2016) will also be published later this year.

Moving confidently and constructively toward new radical and "anarchist" spaces has allowed geographical imaginations and prefigurative spatial practices to flourish. In keeping with the spirit of the great anarchist geographers of yesteryear, most notably Élisée Reclus and Peter Kropotkin, these contemporary anarchist lines of flight offer original value and perspective concerning both (i) ’how’ we can more critically understand the intersectional natures of violence and oppression and (ii) how we can creatively envision and co-create a spatially emancipated society rooted in social justice for all.

Against this background the Panel is keen to support papers that critically reflect on the inter-disciplinary promise of anarchist geographies. For example what are particularly anarchist criticisms of disciplinary/ intellectual frontiers and boundaries ? How can anarchist geographers better position themselves to recognise and embrace new possibilities for collaborative, multidisciplinary conversations, and expressions of solidarity across other disciplines, and activist communities ? What excellent intersectional/ inter-disciplinary approaches and practice already exists "out there" that could be learned from, and with ? Indeed, drawing careful attention toward the central conference themes of anarcho-feminism, exclusion and marginalisation, we would particularly welcome critical responses to the questions of ‘who gets to be an anarchist geographer’, and ‘who gets to do anarchist geography’ (interdisciplinary, or otherwise) ?

Broader areas of interest include, but are not limited to :

• Intersectionality and anarchist geographies

• Interdisciplinary studies and anarchist geographies

• Anarcho-feminist geography/ies

• Anarchist spaces within higher education

• Anarchist anti-colonial and postcolonial geographies and anarchist cosmopolitanism

• Anarchist descriptions and analysis of the intersectional crisis of neoliberalism, and visions of post-capitalist worlds.

• Exploring the motivations of anarchists and the relations between affect, emotion and radical politics.

• Anarchist geographies and the politics of total liberation.

We welcome relevant papers, or alternative forms of presentation, from within geography and wider inter-disciplinary departments, as well as sources from beyond the academy (particularly activist communities and other grassroot organisations).

If you would like to contribute to this session please send abstracts (250 word limit) or ideas to Richard J White (Richard.White@shu.ac.uk ), Federico Ferretti (federico.ferretti@ucd.ie) and Anthony Ince (InceA@cardiff.ac.uk) by Monday March 7th 2016.

References

Breitbart, M. (1975). Impressions of an Anarchist Landscape. Antipode, 7 : 44–49.

Springer, S. Ince, A. Pickerill, J. Brown, G. and Barker, A.J. (2012) Reanimating Anarchist Geographies : A New Burst of Colour. Antipode Vol. 44(5), pp. 1501-1604

Springer, S., White R. J., Souza, M. L. de. eds. (2016). The Radicalization of Pedagogy : Anarchism, Geography and the Spirit of Revolt. Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield.

Souza, M. L. de, White R. J., Springer, S. eds. (2016). Theories of Resistance : Anarchism, Geography and the Spirit of Revolt. Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield.

White R. J., Springer, S., Souza, M. L. de. eds. (2016). The Practice of Freedom : Anarchism, Geography and the Spirit of Revolt. Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield.

PROGRAM : FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 16th, 2016

Anarchism, Feminism and Geography : Luce Fabbri reading Elisée Reclus

Federico Ferretti

School of Geography, University College Dublin

The Italian-Uruguayan intellectual Luce Fabbri (1908-2000), the daughter of the celebrated Italian intellectual and anarchist Luigi Fabbri (1877-1935), was a sophisticated and important interpreter of the French anarchist geographer Élisée Reclus (1830-1905). Her father, who took refuge with his family in Montevideo after the establishment of the fascist dictatorship in Italy, was the editor of the journal Il Pensiero and was among the first to translate the writings of Reclus into Italian. Inspired by Luigi, Luce was drawn to Reclus’s work as a child.

In 1928, in the middle of the fascist dictatorship, when she was only twenty years old, she defended her dissertation at the University of Bologna on Reclus’s conception of geography. Her defence earned her the highest mark as well as the nickname ‘signorina comunista’ (Miss communist) from the dean, because Luce was the only candidate who refused to make the fascist salute before the examining committee. It is likely that she was also the only person in Italy at that time with the courage to speak openly about anarchism in the academy.

The original copy of Luce’s dissertation can be found in the archives of the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam. This typed text, titled L’opera geografica di Eliseo Reclus [The geographical work of Élisée Reclus], along with the correspondence and publications of the Fabbris, is the principal source for my paper, where I analyse the Luce Fabbri’s interdisciplinary readings of Reclus, drawing on the double theoretical frame of feminist historical geographies and of the transnational turn in anarchist studies.

On the absence of Anarchist thought in German-speaking geography

Simon Runkel

University of Heidelberg, Department of Geography

Historically, geographic inquiry is closely linked to Anarchist thought. The work of Elisée Reclus and Peter Kropotkin gave human geography a critical impetus but their theoretical contributions remained marginalized in geography for decades. Anarchist thought resurfaced since the 1970s as radical geography in Anglophone academia and gained growing influence over the last decades. In regard to German-speaking human geography, critical perspectives have only recently become more visible. It has been argued that the growing internationalisation of German geography on the one hand and a growing neoliberalization of academia on the other stimulated these developments since the 1980s (Belina, B., Best, U. & M. Naumann (2009) : Critical geography in Germany : from exclusion to inclusion via internationalisation. In : Social Geography 4, pp. 47-58Belina et al. 2009). Surprisingly, these critical perspectives in German-speaking human geography do not include Anarchist perspectives. In fact, Anarchist thought is widely absent in German-speaking geography in favour of Marxist, Poststructuralist and Feminist perspectives. However, there had been attempts to include Anarchist approaches during the early beginnings of Critical geography in German-speaking academia in the 1980s. The paper will discuss some reasons why such perspectives became disregarded.

Anarcha-feminism : geography, publishing and education.

Dr Jo Norcup

University of Glasgow

[The journal] seeks to promote an emancipatory geography ; it seeks, in other words, to promote the idea that the future is ours to create – or to destroy - and to demonstrate that education bears some responsibility for building a better world responsive to human needs, diversities and capabilities (1983:1).

Accounts of the history of geography and the history of anarchism have long been attentive to the actions, activities and geographical imaginations of particular male anarchists such as Kropotkin and Reclus. This paper turns its attentions to the geographical imagination informing the work of three anarca-feminists : in particular those women whose ideas and ambitions actively worked across a range of publishing spaces, scales and educational contexts attentive to making new worlds of access and opportunity. This paper concerns itself with three specific examples from the 19th and 20th centuries : Charlotte Wilson and the establishment of the journal The Raven, Emma Goldman and the journal Mother Earth, and nearly a century later the work of Dawn Gill and the establishment of the journal Contemporary Issues in Geography and Education from which the aforementioned quote comes and whose issue on Anarchism and Geography was published in 1990.

The interdisciplinary and intersectional promise of anarchist geographies : reflections, challenges, aspirations

Dr. Richard J White

Sheffield Hallam University

At a time of intersectional crises, a return to anarchist praxis within human geography continues to gain impressive momentum and visibility. With the aim of encouraging and facilitating open discussion, the paper offers some reflections, hopes and aspirations around two important and timely questions :

1. How can anarchist geographers better position themselves to recognise and embrace new opportunities for meaningful interdisciplinary dialogues across academic, and activist communities ?

2. What excellent intersectional/ inter-disciplinary approaches and practice already exists that ’we’ could learn from and develop further ?