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- Convenor:
-
Cathy McIlwaine
(Queen Mary University of London)
- Location:
- Malet 355
- Start time:
- 3 April, 2014 at
Time zone: Europe/London
- Session slots:
- 2
Short Abstract:
As researchers are increasingly being called to account for their work to have an 'impact' beyond the academy, this panel addresses the relationship between academic research and public engagement in the context of Latin America in terms of research in the region or with the diaspora.
Long Abstract:
As researchers are increasingly being called to account for their work to have an 'impact' beyond the academy, this panel addresses the relationship between academic research and public engagement in the context of Latin America. It aims to address two core issues; first, it will examine the ways in which knowledge is created and how is can become misrepresented through the functioning of unequal power relations within and across borders. It will explore how 'responsible learning' (Jazeel and McFarlane, 2007) is an essential part of academic research; second, it will consider the practical ways in which academic research feeds into policy work in mutually constitutive ways. This might be engaging with the work of various organisations across the spectrum from large multilaterals to small grassroots groups as well as activities that raise awareness of issues beyond the academy which might entail working through the arts and media in relation to theatre, museums, literature and art. While the panel acknowledges that such questions have a very long history in relation to research on and with Latin America/Latin Americans, some continue to claim (e.g. Sundberg 2003, 2005) that a hegemonic Anglo-American attitude prevails. Therefore, in an academic environment that is increasingly focusing on the relevance of academic research both formally and informally, the panel welcomes papers on the nature of such public engagement and the potential lessons learnt from it. This might refer to research in Latin America itself as well as with the Latin America diaspora.
Accepted papers:
Session 1Sebastian Scholl (University of Bamberg)
Paper short abstract:
The paper explores the processes and practices of a Mexican anti-war social movement in relation to the socio-political and spatial context. The aim is to better understand current relationships and entanglements between activists, state politics and wider civil society in Mexico.
Paper long abstract:
In March 2011 the social 'Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity' (MPJD) emerged in Mexico as a civil society response to the tremendous consequences of the so-called 'War on Drugs'. Activists have started mobilising against the drug-war politics and continuously engage in protest activities to sensitise for its political claims.
This paper investigates the processes of MPJDs practices by adopting an assemblage perspective on social movements. Such a non-reductionist analysis exceeds analytical shortages of more traditional movement approaches and is simultaneously sensitive to spatial dynamics. Through such an integrative view on the complex 'coming together' of diverse and spatially distributed elements in social movements, an assemblage view is able to provide crucial insights into the relationship and entanglements between activists, state institutions/politics and wider civil society in Mexico.
The paper will discuss two main characteristics regarding the MPJD:
(1) The role, evolution and spatiality of the movement as an indispensable site for engagement with personal fates for victims who feel excluded and disobeyed by state institutions.
(2) The becoming of the heterogeneous constitution of 'moments of possibility' that influenced fulfilments of political claims, e.g. the consolidation of a victims' law.
The aim of this discussion is to show that the proposed conceptualisation is an adequate perspective to understand current civil society dynamics in the political 'War on Drugs-context' that transcend traditional explanatory categories of class, race and/or spatial fixities. Furthermore, the paper discusses an assemblage specific notion of politics against the more common a-political stance of poststructuralism.
Elizabeth Wagemann (University of Cambridge) Ana Gatoo (University of Cambridge) Maximilian Bock (University of Cambridge)
Paper short abstract:
This paper highlights the potential role of research in key decision making for communities, local municipalities, and other organisations. The pathways for implementing research done in academia will be discussed for the purpose of slum upgrading and urban development with a focus on Latin America.
Paper long abstract:
Academic research, driven by the impetus of finding sustainable solutions and to slow down the climate change impact is often overlooked due to various reasons. Missing awareness of its existence, in due to journal publication access restrictions, and the technical language of reports, form a barrier to non-academics. In order to harness the potential of research to inform and challenge misconceptions through facts, it is necessary to open up new communication pathways. Some of these communication channels already exist, yet are not broadly known, and new channels need to be developed.
Here we review the conventional communication channels and data processing techniques applied for the purpose of slum upgrading and urban development. The decision making process at different levels of an affected community is studied for cases from urban and peri-urban communities based in Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia. Based on these findings a generalised model on how research is currently implemented is formed and reviewed for the purpose of improvement and highlight new opportunities.
Our findings also show that research on slum upgrading and urban development would benefit from an open exchange with the affected communities beyond individual case studies to remain relevant to the urban challenges of today. We review the benefits and challenges of partnerships with implementers from local and national governmental as well as non-governmental organisations. To conclude, a formalised communication platform is recommended to enable research exchange in a sustainable fashion and a request sent to the global community on how this could be accomplished.
Romina Miorelli (University of Westminster)
Paper short abstract:
The paper will present the experience of a research collective organised around experiences of grass-roots and popular education and the first findings of its research on South American political exiles of the 1970s in the UK.
Paper long abstract:
This paper will present the experience and initial findings of a "research collective" in a UK University that studies the experience of Southern Cone political exiles of the 1970s that came to the UK and stayed. The objective of this experience is two-fold. First, it seeks to contribute to the construction of memory among this sector of the Latin American diaspora in the UK in a systematic manner and focusing on the transformation of their political identities. Second, by working across vertical and horizontal collaborations - that is, including different levels of research expertise, ranging from undergraduate students to lecturers, and being cross-departmental - the research is generating important synergies that are streamlining, across different publics, issues related to the study and the politics of memory in current Latin America and Latin American populations in the UK. Thus, based on experiences of grass-roots and popular education this research project seeks to address systematically the issue of exile but it does so by engaging a variety of publics - ranging from politics students to languages and media experts. However, beyond these positive outcomes in terms of public engagement, the research seems to be pointing to the importance of exploring the relationship between the political implications of research and the academic emphasis on the policy impact of research, on the basis that the latter could be a way of obscuring and veiling the fundamental struggles for power embedded in the former.
Cathy McIlwaine (Queen Mary University of London)
Paper short abstract:
This paper examines how a collaborative research project outlining the experiences of Latin Americans in London has entailed academic work in conjunction with political and creative activities beyond focusing on a political recognition campaign and the production of a play linked called Juana in a Million.
Paper long abstract:
This paper examines the various ways in which a collaborative research project outlining the experiences of Latin American migrants in London has entailed academic work in conjunction with political and creative activities beyond. It focuses on a political recognition campaign and the production of a play linked with the research called Juana in a Million. The discussion assesses the benefits and pitfalls of working in this manner from a conceptual, practical and financial perspective. Conceptually, it considers the extent to which this type of work really overcomes Anglo-centrism and gives real agency to the beneficiaries and wider community and helps to re-draw wider hegemonic power structures of relationships between the global North and South. Practically, it examines the ways in which researchers negotiate a pathway through competing demands from various stakeholders and organisations as well as how these initiatives are funded.
Catherine Davies (University of Nottingham)
Paper short abstract:
Discussion of Pablo Allison's photography exhibition based on the lives of young Latin American women who have recently arrived in London. The exhibition was shown in Spring 2013 in Nottingham and at Southwark Council.
Paper long abstract:
Discussion of "Empowerment through Art", a documentary photographic exhibition of young Latin American migrant women living in London created by Pablo Allison and shown at the New Art Exchange, Nottingham, and at Southwark Council in April and May 2013. The exhibition formed part of a larger project funded by the AHRC to work in collaboration primarily with LAWRS to raise the profile of the Latin American community in London and in particular to address the needs of young migrant women. The project consisted of drama and photographic workshops in which the girls took part and which allowed them to discuss themes such as women's agency, independence,freedom and identity, and the challenges of migrating to another country. It concluded with the exhibition and a play written and performed by the girls who based their characters on the patriot heroines of Latin American independence.
Pablo Allison Roxana Allison
Paper short abstract:
Uncovering the Invisible: A Portrait of Latin Americans in the UK is a photographic collaboration between photographers Roxana and Pablo Allison in response to the research project No Longer Invisible: The Latin American Community in London, conducted by Cathy McIlwaine from Queen Mary University.
Paper long abstract:
Uncovering the Invisible: A Portrait of Latin Americans in the UK is a photographic collaboration between siblings Roxana and Pablo Allison in response to the research project No Longer Invisible: The Latin American Community in London, conducted by Cathy McIlwaine from Queen Mary University.
To date there are more than 180,000 Latin Americans living in the UK. Uncovering the Invisible focuses on the diversity of backgrounds and life stories behind the people that make up this rich community. While Latin Americans contribute economically and culturally to the shaping of British society, they remain unrecognised as an ethnic minority in law. This project aims to support the Latin American Recognition Campaign (LARC), which campaigns for national and official recognition of this community.
These portraits have been taken in a setting entirely chosen by the individual photographed, with a strong meaning and connection to them or their identity.
Uncovering the Invisible will be exhibited in early 2014 in Manchester and London.
For more information please visit: www.uncoveringtheinvisible.co.uk
Caroline Moser (University of Manchester)
Paper short abstract:
This paper addresses how academics through their research activities, professional experience and as trustees can contribute to Northern NGOs working with Southern partners, with specific reference to a small Colombia-focused NGO, Children of the Andes.
Paper long abstract:
Increasingly the call is made for society as a whole to behave more responsibly and ethically, through such notions as the 'big society'. Despite criticisms of this particular conceptualisation, the underlying principles of public service and volunteering continue to be promoted globally and within the UK. This paper addresses how academics can contribute to the workings of Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) through their research activities and professional experience, as well as through volunteering roles such as taking on trusteeship positions. This paper explores such issues with specific reference to the case of a small Colombia-focused NGO, Children of the Andes. In addition, it examines whether this type of work is an important conduit for strengthening ties between the UK and Latin America and addressing the unequal power relations that can exist between Northern-based NGOs and their Southern partners.