Power & Difference 2012

Divide et impera, said the ancient Romans; a maxim that exemplifies one of the ways in which power is entangled with difference. Small privileges allotted to subgroups prevents resistance against the rule by dividing the subjects, and similarly treating units such as nation-states as separate, unique entities prevents us from realizing global structures and trends. On the other hand, aiming at equality and hence unity is hardly possible without identifying injustice related to differences such as age, class, ethnicity, or gender. Furthermore, from an epistemological perspective, the concepts we use are tools to simplify and standardize reality into a manageable number of categories relevant from the viewpoint of governance and control. These and many other linkages between power and difference will be tackled in this biennial conference now organized for the third time.

Keynote speakers will include:

- Lisa Adkins, University of Newcastle, Australia
- Leena Alanen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
- Karen Armstrong, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Laura Huttunen, University of Tampere, Finland
- Jan Nederveen Pieterse, University of California Santa Barbara, USA
- Göran Therborn, University of Cambridge, UK
- George Thomas, Arizona State University, USA

To propose a paper, please submit an abstract (150–200 words) through the conference management system on 15 June 2012 at the latest. (Go to Conference information --> Call for Papers

For more information on the conference, please go to www.uta.fi/power2012/.

Welcome to Tampere!

Pertti Alasuutari
Academy Professor
Chair of the Organizing Committee
University of Tampere, Finland