[URBANTH-L]CFP SfAA/PESO proposed session, "Activism and Life Itself"

[Daniel Renfrew]

Call for Papers for Proposed Session: "Activism and Life Itself"

Conference Theme: Global Challenge, Local Action: Ethical Engagement,
Partnerships, and Practice
Society for Applied Anthropology / Political Ecology Society (PESO),
Co-sponsor
69th Annual Meeting - March 17 - 21, 2009 - Santa Fe, New Mexico
http://www.sfaa.net/sfaa2009.html 

The struggle for "life itself" has become a widespread rallying cry for diverse social movements and grassroots politics, including movements oriented around human rights, environmental justice, ecological or biological life, and human health and well-being.  Why has the call to struggle for life itself become so compelling and prevalent?  How is the defense of life linked to perceived or experienced threats posed by capital conversion of biological life, human health, or nature, such as through new biotechnologies or novel forms of "primitive accumulation"?  How are activists' concerns with life itself related to broader processes of globalization, free market reforms, the dismantling of the welfare state, and changing conditions of citizenship and sovereignty-over nation, nature, bodies-in the crisis-ridden global economy?  This session draws together papers exploring the diverse calls for local action against what has increasingly become a perceived global challenge to "life itself."

Interested participants should send a 100 word abstract to Thomas Pearson (twpear at gmail.com) and Daniel Renfrew (Daniel.Renfrew at mail.wvu.edu) by October 7th.



Daniel E. Renfrew
Assistant Professor
Division of Sociology and Anthropology
West Virginia University
PO Box 6326
Morgantown, WV 26506-6326
Tel: 304-293-5801, ext. 3212
Email: daniel.renfrew at mail.wvu.edu