Social and Cultural Geography Research Group

Call for papers

Ambiance and Atmosphere in Translation

February 25-27th, 2013, London

Many authors, from the second half of the nineteenth century onwards, have struggled to implement a sensitive approach to urban modernity. How to be attentive to changes in the urban world and the minute variations of the ordinary? From the aesthetic thought of Simmel to Goffman’s ecological approach, the philosophies of everydayness in anthropology, from Laplantine to Kracauer and White, to Wittgenstein, Bégout, and Rancière, work has described, translated and called into question the role of ambiance and atmosphere in the construction of urban life. Coalescing around notions of ambiance or atmosphere, notable research trajectories have interlaced disciplinary concerns within urban studies, cultural geography, sociology and architecture, especially in relation to interconnected concepts such as affect, place, aura, acoustics and ecology. Rarely, however, have these trajectories actually met or collided.

After ‘Ambience and Urban Practices’, and ‘Ambience and Criticism’, this third meeting of the Agence Nationale de la Recherche[1] funded project “Enigmas of contemporary urban mobility”, organized within the framework of the International Ambiances Network, will develop a conversation between ambiance, atmosphere and translation. But how to translate? If translation is understood as a practice of “linguistic hospitality” (Ricoeur, 2004), as an experience of transition and mediation (Wismann, 2012), what form might translation take? How might, in other words, the transition occur between the ‘daily’ word and the word of the ‘expert’, between that of the ‘living’ and that of the ‘foreign’? How to make shareable experiences beyond the singularity expressed in different languages and cultures? What media or combination of media could help us achieve this?

This proposed move is particularly important for more than the usual reasons. Because how can accounts sensitive to the urban emerge from attempts to translate ordinary sensory experience? Or formulated differently, how can the act of making clear and intelligible the experiences, feelings, sensations, of distinct research areas, help forward debates on urban atmospheres/ambiances? Finally, how might a work of translation put our convictions in crisis, to put to test our existing ways of thinking, our relationship to the urban environment, and the plurality of modes of the city-dweller? Amongst the many questions around translation, this seminar intends to practically explore how to “install”, “communicate”, “exhibit” or “express” ambiances and atmospheres.

 As part of this event, confirmed ‘Observers’ include: Kyran Joughin (University of the Arts, London), Derek McCormack (Oxford University), Jean-Paul Thibaud (Cresson, ENSAG, Grenoble).

 Instructions

Abstracts should be drafted in English and not exceed 300 words. Along with a title and 4-5 keywords, these should be sent to peter.adey@rhul.ac.uk, p.simpson@keele.ac.uk and damien.masson@u-cergy.fr, rachel.thomas@grenoble.archi.fr by January 11th, 2013 at the latest.

Authors will be notified of the acceptance of their paper by January 21st, 2013 at the latest.

 A publication of articles stemming from the conference papers is envisaged, in English, under the shape of a book or a special issue of the new journal Ambiances.

 Organizers of the seminar: Peter Adey (Royal Holloway, University of London), Paul Simpson (Keele University), Damien Masson (Université de Cergy-Pontoise, Laboratoire MRTE, Chercheur associé au Cresson), Rachel Thomas (Chargée de recherche au CNRS, Directrice du Cresson, Coordinatrice de la recherche ANR MUSE)

Date of the seminar: February 25-27th, 2013, University of London, Senate House and 11 Bedford Square, Bloomsbury, London.

The conference is free, but participants will be responsible for their own accommodation, transport and evening meal.

 Language of the seminar: English

We are delighted to announce the winner for the 2012 Dissertation Prize, Chris Goodman, University of Oxford, and the Runner Up, Nicholas Speechley, Loughborough University. Full details here.

Overall the standard of competition was extremely high this year, and the Committee felt that the winner and runner-up showcased the best work being produced by young social and cultural geographers in the UK.

 

This is my last post as Chair of the Social and Cultural Geography Research Group, so I hope you will excuse the indulgence of some closing reflections and heartfelt thanks.

I have been involved in the group as secretary and then chair for six very enjoyable years. The SCGRG has been a pleasure to work with.  The committee has always been excellent and supportive.  I can’t name everyone here, but over 6 years there are many people who have helped organise events, set up and run up the dissertation prize, welcome new members to the group and keep finances, communications and conference administration on track. I am grateful to you all and have learnt so much from you.  I would also like to acknowledge the enormous input and continued support from the RGS-IBG, particularly from Catherine Souch, Stephanie Wyse and Joy Hayward in the Research and Higher Education Division.

The wider group has also been an inspiration too. It has considerable strengths through its size and diversity, which can be seen as challenges, but enthusiasm has always been able to turn these into opportunities for dialogue and debate.  This dynamism is important and I hope it will continue.  There are new challenges too.  The group is beginning to explore the implications of the changing environment in higher education, with more demands and less funding, through sessions at this year’s RGS-IBG annual conference on ‘crisis’ and ‘impact’.  I think discussion needs to continue in the group as well about how best to support researchers in social and cultural geography in potentially difficult times. The new committee will be reviewing this shortly, so do get in touch with ideas.

So finally, I’d like to welcome the new committee. I am delighted to be handing on to an excellent group including Pete Adey as Chair, Sarah Mills as Secretary, Chris Bear as Treasurer, Franklin Ginn as Dissertation Co-ordinator, James Ash as Communications Office,  Rebecca Sandover and Mia Hunt as postgraduate representatives, and Amanda Rogers, Harriet Hawkins, Owain Jones, Hannah Macpherson, Tara Woodyer, Paul Simpson and Leila Dawney. Full details will be on the committee webpage soon.  And a final plug.  I’m not totally giving up responsibilities for social and cultural geography.  Stepping down from this role means I have the time to take up editing the Cultural Geography section of Geography Compass. If you have ideas for innovative reviews and overlooked subjects in cultural geography I’d love to hear from you!

With thanks and best wishes

Gail Davies

Dear Colleagues:

Thanks to those of you who were able to respond to my earlier request for information regarding the ESRC’s current ‘benchmarking review’ of UK human geography, chaired by Professor David Ley at UBC and being undertaken in partnership with the AHRC and RGS-IBG.

I was commissioned to provide an overview of social and cultural geography, covering the last ten years and seeking to answer the following three questions:

1. How has research in social and cultural geography in the UK developed over the last ten years, and what are the major strengths and weaknesses of the field?
2. How does UK research in social and cultural geography compare with research produced by colleagues in other countries?
3. Can you suggest some examples of key academic outputs by UK scholars (books and other publications) that have made an important contribution to scholarship and/or have helped to set or move intellectual agendas in the field?

My draft report is attached here, with an invitation to provide any further comment by Monday 12 March.  The final report has to be submitted on 19 March

Please send your comments and suggestions to: p.a.jackson@sheffield.ac.uk

Your help will be very much appreciated and will contribute directly to the review process.

 

Thanks and best wishes

Peter Jackson

The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) wishes to appoint an Editor to Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers. The current Editor, Professor Alison Blunt, Queen Mary, University of London, completes a normal five year term at the end of 2012. Transactions is one of the foremost international journals of geographical research, publishing the very best scholarship from around the world, across the whole range of the discipline. The new Editor will be an internationally renowned scholar who has excellent networks worldwide and a broad interest in, and support for, the full range of research work undertaken in geography.

More details are available at www.rgs.org/TransactionsEditor. Closing date for applications: 23 March 2012.

Forthcoming opportunities on the SCGRG committee

I want to start this news items with a note of thanks to everyone who has served on the SCGRG committee from 2006 to 2012, the six years for which I have been Secretary, then Chair of the group. I’d also like to thank all those SCGRG members, and others, who have ensured that doing these roles has been consistently interesting and enjoyable.  Many of the committee are also coming to the end either 3 or 6 years service.  So, summer 2012 is going to see significant changes for the group.

The SCGRG will be looking to elect a new Chair and Secretary at the AGM held during the RGS/IBG Conference in Edinburgh 3-5^th July 2012.  We will also have vacancies for a Dissertation Co-ordinator and a Communications Officer (web editing and twitter is currently done by me, with other media maintained by the wider committee).  We will also be welcoming new committee members who want to take on a more informal role in the first instance.

The RGS Handbook has more details on the roles for committee members and the election process.  According to the RGS, those looking for election to Chair and Secretary should be RGS members, and the majority of the Committee must be members of the RGS-IBG.

New officers and committee members will be elected by those present at the AGM.  The RGS handbook explains that nominations for Committee membership will be accepted up to the beginning of the AGM. Nominations must be in writing (email is fine) and include the names of the proposer and seconder.  You don’t have to pay to register for the conference to attend the AGM.  If you are interested in any of these roles but are not able to attend the AGM, you can be nominated in your absence.

If you are interested in any of these roles, please do get in touch with me, or with any other members of the committee. You can find their details here.  Many of us will be at the AAG conference in New York, so feel free to talk to us informally there.  We very much look forward to hearing from you.

With best wishes

Gail Davies (Chair SCGRG)