About
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The roles of social inclusion and exclusion in society is a topic of intense discussion in both academic and public debates. The current refugee crisis, terrorist attacks and discussions about integration and illegality have been at the core of these debates in the last few years. Recently, such topics have generated extra tension in political debates surrounding Brexit and various presidential elections worldwide, illustrating how pervasive notions of social inclusion and exclusion are in contemporary discourse.
Naturally, social inclusion and exclusion are not solely a feature of modern times; they have been present in most societies throughout human history. Envision for instance Aeneas, the legendary Trojan refugee, who according to some accounts was the founder of Rome, or consider the many European refugees from the 17th century, fleeing from religious persecution. To understand how groups deal and have dealt with social inclusion and exclusion, it is vital to study their mechanics and functions in the past. During the conference on 29 June 2017, speakers from different fields in the humanities will discuss how social inclusion and exclusion should be interpreted in premodernity, particularly with regard to migrations, diaspora and the integration of 'Others'. Location Marie Lokezaal (Harmony building) Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat 26, 9712 EK Groningen, The Netherlands |
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So... What did you think?
We were delighted to see that so many people were interested in our conference!
As this was our first time organising an academic conference, we would appreciate any feedback you might have on what was done well, and what could be improved in future years. The survey will take approximately 5 minutes of your time. To take the survey, please click here or on the button to the right. |
Confirmed Keynote!The conference team is pleased to announce the event's keynote speaker:
Dr Nora Berend (University of Cambridge) |
Key Text
“The Language of Inclusion and Exclusion in the Context of Immigration and Integration” (Schrover and Schinkel, 2013) is the key text for this conference. The article draws connections between the definitions and labels used to describe issues surrounding immigration. This text is pertinent to our conference as it provides a framework for reflecting on the theme of social inclusion and exclusion from a discourse perspective. As the master's students have individually interpreted and reflected on this key text in relation to their own research area, it additionally provides a common basis in which each person’s work is grounded.
[H]istorical analysis of discourses of in- and exclusion can help elucidate contemporary transformations of discursive power. History offers a reservoir of material for the practical construction of inclusion and exclusion. At the same time, the contemporary stage of globalization involves new frames of problematization, such as ‘illegality’ and transnationalism. The study of such frames can be aided by a historically informed analysis of past frames and topoi, of former policy categorizations, their legitimations and their subsequent transformations" (Schrover and Schinkel, p. 1138).
Marlou Schrover |
"Introduction: The Language of Inclusion and Exclusion in the Context of Immigration and Integration"
ABSTRACT: When migrant status and citizenship are defined by means of state categories, the language of inclusion and exclusion is key to an understanding of their contemporary shape and historical transformation. This introductory article provides an overview of some of the most relevant concepts in the discourse analysis of in- and exclusion, specifically with a view to the functioning of nation-state categories. It discusses forms of discursive problematization, such as defining, claiming, legitimizing, expanding, sensationalization and suggestion, and it connects these to the discursive drawing of boundaries discussed by the authors contributing to this issue. They focus on discursive constructions of ‘illegality’, race, class, gender, immigrant integration and transnationalism. We argue that, as state categorizations continuously differ, both the historical analysis of their genesis, functioning and transformation and the contemporary analysis of their effectuation in practices are crucial to an understanding of in- and exclusion.
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Willem Schinkel |
Get an impression of our work
In the month leading up to the conference, approximately every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, one of the students involved in the conference will share an entertaining and informative sneak peek related to their research topic.
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Interested?
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If you are interested in attending our conference, please register to secure your seat.
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History
The CMEMS Conference is organized annually by students of the research master’s programme Classical, Medieval and Early Modern Studies (CMEMS; formerly 'CMRS') of the University of Groningen. Over the past few years, the Conference has dealt with a range of major historiographical themes from an interdisciplinary perspective, one that traverses temporal, theoretical and methodological boundaries. A cursory glance at the various topics of previous conferences attests to this great variety of themes, from ‘Creating Heroes and Villains’ in 2012 to ‘Expecting Life and Celebrating Death’ in 2014. A recurrent theme in the history of the CMEMS Conference is the predominant role of cultural history, which makes sense considering the academic profile of the History Department of the University of Groningen.
This is not the only thread woven through the various editions of the conference however, as experiences with the unknown or the unfamiliar also feature prominently in the list of previous topics: ‘Reject or Embrace? Dealing with the Unknown from Antiquity to the Enlightenment’ (2011), ‘Meet & Greet: Cultural Encounters in the Premodern Period’ (2013), ‘Dealing with Novelty’ (2015) and finally ‘Solidarity in Times of Crisis’ (2016). In this regard, the choice of this year’s topic should hardly come as a surprise. The CMEMS Conference Team of 2017 is inspired to be part of a tradition that proves interdisciplinary research into premodern history can be used to great effect in making sense of themes that hold their relevance up until this day.
This is not the only thread woven through the various editions of the conference however, as experiences with the unknown or the unfamiliar also feature prominently in the list of previous topics: ‘Reject or Embrace? Dealing with the Unknown from Antiquity to the Enlightenment’ (2011), ‘Meet & Greet: Cultural Encounters in the Premodern Period’ (2013), ‘Dealing with Novelty’ (2015) and finally ‘Solidarity in Times of Crisis’ (2016). In this regard, the choice of this year’s topic should hardly come as a surprise. The CMEMS Conference Team of 2017 is inspired to be part of a tradition that proves interdisciplinary research into premodern history can be used to great effect in making sense of themes that hold their relevance up until this day.
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