According to Claude Lévy-Strauss (1955) two types of attitudes to otherness can be identified: on the one hand, anthropoemic strategies “deal with strangers and deviants by swallowing them up, by making them (their) own and by gaining strength from them”, while on the other, anthropophagic strategies “vomit out the deviant, keeping them outside of society or enclosing them in special institutions within their perimeters”. Inspired by these two forms, this workshop will question the “integration/inclusion”, “incorporating”, “ignoring” and/or “rejecting” of the Other in education in the Nordic countries, especially in relation to job/study opportunities in higher educational contexts. Many Nordic universities claim to be “international” but also “inclusive” and “competitive”, but how do these translate concretely in relation to the scholars from abroad who are “here to stay”? The label scholars from abroad refers here to individuals who have received their education fully or partially outside their own home society and are living in the Nordic countries or have returned to their own home society in the North.

The following questions guide the workshop: How do educational institutions deal with “strangers and deviants”? What steps do institutions take to assist scholars from abroad in feeling at ease both within institutions and beyond campuses? Is “otherness” valued in educational institutions, especially beyond the “figures that look good on paper” syndrome? Are educational institutions in the North anthropoemic or anthropophagic or something else? Why? What’s in hold for the future?

Workshop organizers:
Fred Dervin, Department of Teacher Education, University of Helsinki, Finland
Ilona Tikka, Department of Teacher Education, University of Helsinki, Finland

Submission of abstracts:

Please submit your paper abstract by 15.4.2012 using the online submission form (http://congress.utu.fi/abyss/). Please note than in the submission form you should select the above mentioned workshop.

Abstract guidelines:

* Save the abstract file in RTF or DOC format, using your last name as the file name.
* Do not use accented characters like ä, å or ö, etc. in the filename; replace them with a, o, or equivalent.
* Abstracts should be written and presented in English.
* The maximum number of words is 150-200 (body text) plus title and affiliations.
* The maximum size of the uploaded abstract is 1400 kilobytes.
* In case you have difficulties deciding on the workshop, please choose the option "other" on the workshop session list.

The abstracts will be published in the Conference Programme and Abstracts Book.

Deadlines:

The closing date for paper proposals is 15 April 2012. Acceptances of workshop proposals will be announced on 7 May 2012.

16th NORDIC MIGRATION RESEARCH CONFERENCE & 9th ETMU DAYS: IMMIGRANTS AND CIVIL SOCIETY

13-15 August 2012
University of Turku, Finland

The focus of much research of immigrants in the Nordic countries has been on the economic circumstances and state policies regarding migration and integration. Far less attention has been devoted to the role of the institutions of civil society in facilitating or impeding the incorporation of newcomers into Nordic societies. The theme of this conference is intended to be a response to that imbalance in research priorities.

The conference organizers are inviting papers that address issues related to the incorporation of newcomers into receiving societies in the developed world, with special emphasis on the Nordic countries, and on issues related to fair means of inclusion. These topics are broad and can be approached from a variety of thematic and methodological perspectives. Furthermore, the conference also welcomes all proposals within the broader field of ethnic and migration studies. The conference language is English.

The preliminary conference program can be viewed at
http://www.etmu.fi/etmudays/nmrc2012/program.html.

Keynote speakers:

* Professor Jeffrey Alexander, Yale University, USA
* Dr. Phillip Connor, Pew Research Institute, USA
* Professor Leo Lucassen, Leiden University, the Netherlands
* Professor Carl-Ulrik Schierup, Linköping University, Sweden
* Dr. Marja Tiilikainen, University of Helsinki, Finland
* Dr. Salla Tuori, Åbo Akademi University, Finland

This call can be viewed at
http://www.etmu.fi/etmudays/nmrc2012/cfp.html.

Conference organizers and partners:

ALPO - Developing Integration in Finland (European Social Fund - Ministry of the Interior)
European Migration Network (Finland)
FiDiPro Project Multiculturalism as a New Pathway to Incorporation (University of Turku)
Institute of Migration (Turku)
Network for Research on Multiculturalism and Societal Interaction (MCNet, University of Turku)
Nordic Migration Research (NMR)
Post-Secular Culture and a Changing Religious Landscape (PCCR, Åbo Akademi)
Society for the Study of Ethnic Relations and International Migration (ETMU)

Contact:

For more information about the conference, please contact Dr. Johanna Leinonen at johlei[at]utu.fi. For any questions regarding registration, payments, or accommodation, please contact the Congress Office at congress[at]utu.fi.