For a few years now, sensory perception has become a subject of study for numerous domains in the social sciences. Besides the study of its psychological and physiological characteristics, the social and cultural dimensions of sensory modalities have undergone a rigorous investigation. An increasing number of researchers have investigated these aspects from various theoretical perspectives (pragmatism, cultural sciences, cognitive sciences, phenomenology, etc.) and with diverse emphasis (memory, food, material culture, knowledge and know-how, gender, etc.). Faced with this proliferation of approaches and interests, this conference, organised by the Université de Liège in collaboration with the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), 23-25 September 2010, aims to make visible this specific domain and to compare different approaches that have been applied.
The anthropology of the senses raises numerous questions: What are the links between the shaping of the body and the senses, and the shaping of the lived-in surroundings? Which models are needed to interpret the social mobilisation of the senses? How does the evocation of a sensory mode through another one occur (in art or marketing, for instance)? How does the experience of the intimate develop through the sharing of sensory knowledge? How do the uses of the senses in a society condition the manifestation or the experience of feelings? Which role do they play in the sharing, the expression and the transmission of a cultural identity? How do sensory modes act in communication with the holy? How could the interest in the senses of the actors and ethnographer, notably those deemed secondary (touch, taste, smell), add to ethnographic description and help its analysis? Which are the most prevalent tools for studying the cultural aspects of perception? These are but a few examples of the many questions that we hope to tackle in what promises to be a lively and thought-provoking conference.
Throughout the presentations and debates, the stress will be put on “sensory meetings” divided into three themes:
- instigating a dialogue between the different schools of thought that deal with the senses in social sciences (whose inspiration comes from culturalism, phenomenology, pragmatism, cognitive sciences, etc.);
- the design of theoretic and methodological tools for the investigation of the question of the reciprocal influence of sensory modes and synesthesic effects, either in the building of thoughts and knowledge or in the practical uses of the senses in the context of an activity;
- on a disciplinary level at least, the contribution of the anthropology of the senses to other fields of research in social sciences (politics, economics, health, etc.) and to the practice of ethnography (how could the ethnographer reflexively use his/her senses in the field ? Which tools could he/she use to access the sensory experience of others ?)
This conference will draw researchers together to consider these questions through those accounts of field research which investigate the perceptive processes from an anthropological or sociological standpoint.
Guests: Michael Bull (University of Sussex), Joël Candau (Université de Nice - Sophia Antiopolis), Steve Feld (University of New Mexico), Sandra Fiori (Ecole d’Architecture de Grenoble), Antoine Hennion (Mines – Paris Tech) (to be confirmed), Tim Ingold (University of Aberdeen) (to be confirmed), Martine Leroux (Ecole d’Architecture de Grenoble), Paul Stoller (West Chester University of Philadelphia).
Scientific Committee: David Berliner (LAMC, Université Libre de Bruxelles), Laurent Legrain (LAMC, Université Libre de Bruxelles), Pierre Petit (LAMC, Université Libre de Bruxelles), Anna Poujeau (LASC, Université de Liège), Elodie Razy (LASC, Université de Liège), Benjamin Rubbers (LAMC/LASC, Université Libre de Bruxelles/Université de Liège), Véronique Servais (LASC, Université de Liège), Bénédicte Schoonbroodt (Pôle Sud/LASC, Université de Liège).
The working languages will be French and English.
To submit a paper, please send us by e-mail an abstract in French and English of maximum 2500 characters each (including spaces), with your name and institutional affiliation. Due date: 19 april 2010.
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