An Unwell World?
Anthropology in a Speculative Mode
SOAS, University of London
11 - 14 April 2023
The Call for Panels is closed; the calls for papers and labs are open.
Formats: panels, roundtables, laboratories
This conference has panels in various formats:
- Panels are structured in the traditional manner of four papers per session. Ideally we’d like to limit panels to a maximum of two consecutive 90-minute sessions, each of which can include a maximum of 4 papers/presentations (so 8 papers all together). However, if a panel receives twice the number of proposals, or more (so above 16 proposals), additional sessions may be allowed at the discretion of the Scientific Committee. No panel can run for more than four sessions, though.
- Roundtables in which a group of scholars (no more than 5) discuss particular themes/issues in front of (and subsequently with) an audience. While a roundtable can include short (5-10 min) provocations/presentations, the main idea is to create a lively debate, not to focus on any one presenter. Roundtables will be limited to one 90-minute session.
- Laboratories are characterised by experimentation, collaboration, interaction or improvisation, bringing the focus to research methods, the ethnographic process and the mode of expression in presenting results. Rather than exhibiting already finished work, the aim of laboratories is to organise collective research activities that are open-ended and cultivate possibilities for surprise, novelty and learning. Laboratories will be designed as interactive, reflexive sessions that prioritise exploration, rather than the discussion of already established research results. They can be used to tackle practical problems, to re-evaluate concepts, to find new theoretical and political directions, or to understand emergent cultural dynamics. Whether concerned with possibilities and limitations in current anthropological practice, or with cultural and political problematics in an unequal world, labs can provide space for addressing any themes in creative, interactive, and open-ended fashion. The call for labs is open for the same time as the call for papers, see here for more information and how to propose a lab.
Rules
- The ASA requires all accepted panels to be open to paper proposals through the website, therefore panels should not be organised as 'closed' sessions (however, roundtables can be)
- All panels/roundtables must have at least two convenors, so as to avoid session cancellations if one convenor cannot attend the event
- Delegates (those attending the conference) may only make one presentation each (please note that a roundtable contribution counts as being a discussant, not a presenter). You may be a co-author on multiple papers if you are not the one presenting them. In addition, a delegate may also convene once (be that a plenary, panel, lab or roundtable) and be a discussant or a chair in one plenary session, panel, or roundtable.
- You do not have to be an ASA member to propose a panel, roundtable, paper or lab. However, conference registration for members will be notably lower than for non-members, so there may be a financial incentive to join the Society.
- All those attending the conference, including discussants and chairs, will need to register and pay to attend.
- The Local Committee will decide which panel, roundtable and lab proposals to accept.
Convenor responsibilities
It is the convenors' responsibility to ensure that all session participants are well briefed and that panels, roundtables and labs meet ASA2023 requirements. To that end, convenors should not only communicate their decisions about proposals to their session, but also later in the process email the participants to: inform them of the speaking order (this will also be displayed on the website panel page), inform them as to how much time they have been allocated, remind them to register to attend the conference (the registration status of participants can be seen in the login environment), inform them of any late changes or additional chairs/discussants, and any other information related to the session. If participants withdraw, convenors should mark these withdrawals in the login environment.
Conference format and timetable
The conference will run for four days, with Day one slightly shorter than the three following days. The Firth lecture/Keynote will take place on the opening day, but there will be a plenary event on each following day. All keynotes/plenaries will address the conference theme.
ASA2023 is intended to be a fully face-to-face (f2f) conference, albeit with the exceptional possibility for a few panels to take place fully online. i.e. there will be no hybrid panels.
Key dates
Call for Panels: 14/09/2022 - 20/10/2022
Panels selected: 30/11/2022
Call for Papers: 01/12 - 07/01/2023
Call for Labs: 01/12 - 07/01/2023
Papers decided: 07/01 - 17/01/2023
Transfer process: 17/01 - 06/02/2023
Early Bird registration: 13/02/2023 - 20/03/2023
