| Maren Hartmann on Mon, 12 Nov 2001 11:23:02 +0100 (CET) |
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| [Nettime-bold] Fwd: A 'festival of discourse' |
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"A 'festival' of discourse": a series of lectures, round-tables and PhD seminars on discourse theory with David Howarth (University of Essex) and Jacob Torfing (Roskilde University), organised by Koccc. Location is the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, December 10-12, 2001. For detailed information, see below or check the website (http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~jteurlin/Koccc.html). All sessions are free and open to all.
CONCEPT
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Koccc (Dutch abbreviation for Centre for Critical Studies in Communication and Culture) brings together a group of young researchers from different universities and disciplines, which all work at the crossroads of poststructuralist theory, feminist theory, media theory and political theory. One of our explicit aims is to enhance the discussion on discourse theory in contemporary intellectual life and academia. Therefore a festival will be organised with two internationally renowned speakers working within the field of discourse theory. First speaker to be invited is David Howarth (Essex University), whose recently published book 'Discourse' (2000) is considered to be a major contribution to discourse theory. The second guest is Jacob Torfing (Roskilde University), who is one of the initiators of the Danish Centre for Discourse Theory and who also provided a comprehensive and accessible account with his 'New Theories of Discourse' (1999).
In this seminar we have opted for three different formats (General Lectures, Round-tables and a PhD seminar), in order to facilitate the dialogue between discourse theorists and scholars more familiar with other forms of social theory. Although the impression exists that most social theoretical positions seem to accept - in varying degrees - the idea that the social is discursively constructed, mainstream social theory often fails to implement the consequences of this idea. We feel that discourse theory and mainstream social theory might benefit from a dialogue, multiplicating the knowledge and acceptance of the insights of discourse theory into mainstream intellectual thought, and at the same time challenging the hegemony of mainstream social theory through the confrontation with discourse theory. At this point in time, a seminar on discourse theory might contribute to this aim by placing the invited discourse theorists in a dialogical situation with a series of Belgian scholars, some of who have shown their affinity with discourse theory while others have proven to be more reserved towards discourse theory.
ROUND-TABLES
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We have selected three fields of interest in contemporary theory: the media, post-Marxism and feminism(s). This will also allow us to raise more specific questions and confront our two guests with the theoretical developments within these academic areas. These questions might be:
ROUND-TABLE 1: discourse and the media.
What exact role should be attributed to the media as systems of dispersion of discourse(s), and how to include the media specificity in discourse theory? Can the media - and do they have to - play a role in propagating the 'radical democratic project'? Can they function as a binding force between the different societal struggles? Should (and can) media be defined as sites of social struggle or as neutral carriers of meaning? How can the audience be re-articulated as the public? And can public broadcasting companies still play a role in this rearticulation or are they too focussed on the 'audience'? How can different projects for increasing the social responsibility of the media (for instance the public journalism, the peace journalism and the community media movement) be strengthened?
Panel: Daniël Biltereyst (RUG), Dirk De Geest (KUL), Koen Geldof (KUL), Geert Jacobs (UIA), Hilde Van den Bulck (UIA), Hans Verstraeten (RUG) en Ludwina Van Son (UIA)
Chaired by Nico Carpentier (UIA) & Jan Teurlings (VUB)
ROUND-TABLE 2: discourse and post-Marxism
If the Left has to engage in a Gramscian 'hegemonic struggle' what form should such hegemonic struggle take? How precisely does one establish a new common sense? How to stretch signifiers such as democracy, people, race, ethnicity, justice, welfare/ workfare, etc. in order to unify a broad range of progressive political struggles? How should one think the relationship between discourse and the material objects it articulates? Is it possible to articulate every object as an element in a discourse, or does the material put its limits on articulation?
Panel: Ludo Abicht (UIA), Jan Blommaert (RUG), Ruddy Doom (RUG), Koen Raes (RUG) en Stef Slembrouck (RUG)
Chaired by Patrick De Vos (RUG) & Jan Teurlings (VUB)
ROUND-TABLE 3: discourse and feminism(s)
How is the term 'discourse' used in different strands of feminism? How does discourse theory relate to active audience theory, and should both engage in a dialogue? What theoretical and methodological problems will this pose? What is the status of the body after deconstruction, and is there any materiality left for it? Is the body a mere passive object of power/knowledge, or does the body have its own 'agency'? What can we learn from feminism's own history regarding the acceptance of difference within the movement itself? How can this help us to think 'radical democracy'?
Panel: Gert Buelens (RUG), Gily Coene (RUG), Maren Hartmann (VUB), Joke Hermes (UvA), Vivian Liska (UIA) en Magda Michielsens (UIA)
Chaired by Sonja Spee (UIA), Jan Teurlings (VUB) en Sofie Van Bauwel (RUG)
PRACTICALITIES
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All lectures and seminars are held in STOA (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), underneath "Cafetaria". Please register on beforehand by mailing to Patrick.DeVos@rug.ac.be (do not forget to mention which session(s) you plan to attend), or download a form from the website (http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~jteurlin/Koccc.html) and send by ordinary mail. Participants for the PhD seminar are allowed 10 minutes to present their research project, followed by a discussion, but it is absolutely required to register because of organisational reasons. All sessions are free and open to all.
MONDAY 10th of DECEMBER 2001
10-13h: Round-table 1 "Discourse and Media"
14-17h: General lecture by Jacob Torfing "Meaning and politics: an introduction to discourse theory"
TUESDAY 11th of DECEMBER 2001
10-13h: General lecture by David Howarth "A genealogy of discourse theory: lineages and prospects"
14-17h: Round-table 2 "Discourse and Post-Marxism"
WEDNESDAY 12th of DECEMBER 2001
10-13h: PhD seminar with David Howarth and Jacob Torfing. Present your own research project in 10 minutes, followed by a discussion.
14-17h: Round-table 3 "Discourse and Feminism(s)"
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Please check the website regularly for follow-ups and additional information.
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In cooperation with:
Faculteit Lettern & Wijsbegeerte @ Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Vakgroep Communicatiewetenschappen @ Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Communication for Social Change @ Katholieke Universiteit Brussel
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