Territoriality or ‘place’ is a ubiquitous condition of human life. Yet, political, economic and sociological studies of place are rarely labeled as such and the field of study is fragmented across the social sciences. This two-day workshop provides young scholars the space to present and exchange their research on the role of ‘place’ in social sciences. We aim at kickstarting a transdisciplinary discussion by bringing together various perspectives of place-sensitive research. In doing so we help early career researchers to gather experience, inspire each other and build transdisciplinary networks. Additional funding from the Young Scholars Initiative (YSI) would increase the inclusivity of the workshop and enrich the collective discussion. Specifically, it would enable us to offer travel scholarships to students from disadvantaged universities, fields, and backgrounds, or with limited funding.

 13^th and 14^th of December 2023

Presentation of the workshop

Our daily and immediate experiences of the social world are embedded in multiple and interconnected places: neighbourhoods, towns, regions, states… Yet, despite being ubiquitous in the empirical phenomenon social scientists observe, place-sensitive research has not established itself as a consolidated field of its own. It makes sporadic appearances in various fields of study and disciplines and lacks a coherent, formalized analytical framework.

In the silos of distinguished scientific traditions, such as of rural and urban sociology, public policy studies, social movements studies, political economy and geography, ‘places’ have thus taken various conceptual forms such as territories, local or localised spaces in which social processes occur, cities, bodies of governance, regional studies, or geographies of voting or discontent.

Many questions remain on what constitutes ‘place’ theoretically, how to approach ‘place’ methodologically and how to empirically capture its mechanisms and conditions. Recent scholarship has started to put ‘place’ in the centre of social sciences discourse. A rich research agenda lies open to scholars trying to understand the role of ‘place’ in social sciences.

This doctoral workshop brings together young scholars from various fields interested in the place-sensitive research agenda. In two days (one afternoon and the following day), young scholars present their research in thematic panels to stimulate transdiscplinary debate and receive feedback from like-minded peers.

Workshop goal

In the face of the theoretical, methodological and empirical fragmentation of the study of ‘place’, this doctoral workshop has two central aims: First, our goal is to create a multidisciplinary and reflexive discussion about our uses of place – and its various conceptual variations – rooted in our empirical doctoral research. Second, by engaging this collective work, we aim at creating intellectual links between a new generation of young scholars with the promise of future fruitful academic collaboration.

Application procedure

Participants should submit an abstract summarising their research proposal in ~500 words through our application form (https://fs8.formsite.com/CNZLjX/guaogprbhq/index). We welcome proposals from various fields, ranging from political science to sociology, geography or urban and regional studies, and from various methodological approaches.

Deadline for the submission of research proposals is September 30, 2023.

We also welcome abstracts studying broader theoretical perspectives or concrete empirical cases in different parts of the world, and tackling different objects (e.g. sustainability, sociopolitical attitudes, urban planning, governance, innovation, regional development, public policy, etc.).

Additionally, participants who would like to be considered for the YSI travel scholarship, should prepare a short statement (~250 words) which explains their motivation behind your application and why they require funding to attend. YSI funding would contain a travel stipend based on individual needs and two nights of accommodation (13th - 14th of December 2023) in a shared twin-room in a hotel close to the workshop venue, for about 12 participants. Participation in the workshop is free.

Format

The workshop takes place in the facilities of Sciences Po Paris. It will consist of two days of panel discussions (Wednesday 13th afternoon and Thursday 14th all-day) and social events in the evening. Panels will comprise two to three presentations of 15 to 20 minutes each followed by an open discussion with the workshop participants. Senior researchers of the CEE (Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics) will act as moderators of the panels. An opening session will include a short address from the organising team, welcome words from the director of the CEE, Florence Faucher as well as a key-note speech of a distinguished scholar in the field. A closing event will allow for a common moment of reflection on take-away notes and potential future collaborations that emerged from the discussions.

This call addresses the international research community and the primary language of communication, discussion and presentation will be English.

Organisation

This Young Scholars workshop is organised by a team of PhD candidates from the Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics (CEE) affiliated with Sciences Po and the CNRS (the French National Centre for Scientific Research) and in collaboration with the Young Scholars Initiative (YSI). We come from different research fields and represent the CEE’s dedication to multidisciplinary research.

Deadlines

Abstract submission: 30 September

Notification of acceptance: Mid-October

Workshop: 13th (afternoon) and 14th of December 2023

Selection committee

The selection committee is composed of a team of PhD candidates from the Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics (CEE) affiliated with Sciences Po and the CNRS (the French National Centre for Scientific Research): Arno Lizet, Jens Carstens, Marta Tramezzani and Theodore Tallent.