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Conference Announcement Theme: Immigration, Incorporation, and Democracy Type: 3rd Research Conference Institution: Working Group on Democracy, Austrian Research Association Location: Vienna (Austria) Date: 14.–15.11.2013 __________________________________________________ The Working Group on the Future of Austrian Democracy (ARGE Zukunft der Demokratie) of the Austrian Research Association (ÖFG) is inviting to its annual research conference to be held November 14th and 15th 2013 in Vienna, Austria. The conference has two main goals: First, it seeks to analyze how Austrian and European immigration societies and their institutions have responded to the settlement of immigrants, and how their incorporation has been facilitated and negotiated. It wants to ascertain which modes of democratic innovations have emerged. Second, the research conference focuses on how immigrants and immigrant communities in Europe/Austria have adapted to the institutional structures of the receiving societies and political systems. It also wants to determine how entrenched local and national arrangements have resisted such adaptations on the one hand and how, as a result, immigrant groups have sought to develop alternative forms of involvement or engaged in transnational activities. Conference Details The two-day research conference will be held in the vicinity of the University of Vienna. The goal is to assemble a small number of researchers of all levels (including advanced graduate/doctoral students) to participate in a two-day workshop style event in which all participants will be present for the duration of the program and engage in discussion. The papers will be presented and critiqued by qualified peers, after which the discussion is opened to the remaining conference participants and a small general audience. The discussions are intended to be focused and expert-oriented with the goal of developing working papers to be published in a working paper series at the association website and a further book publication. An important benefit of this format is both the depth of the expertise present and the interdisciplinary nature of the event. The language of the conference and the papers will be in English. Conference Topics: Topic 1: Democratic Deficits / Institutional Change and Innovation: - What institutional adaptations have taken place to accommodate growing cultural diversity? What democratic deficits exist with respect to inclusion and representation of immigrant communities? - How do institutional designs and democratic arrangements compare cross-nationally in this respect? - How can institutional innovations be adapted trans-nationally? - What are innovate ways of measuring the success of institutional change and innovation? Topic 2: Citizenship / Fundamental Rights / Immigrants’ Representation and Participation: - What are ways in which meaningful participation of immigrants in democratic processes may be strengthened? - What forms of transnational political participation exist or may be relevant? - What is the relationship between immigrant communities and political parties and civic organizations? - How can the representation of precarious immigrant groups in institutions of power be strengthened? - What legal protections are necessary/appropriate for a diverse immigrant population and how may fundamental rights be strengthened vis‐à-vis the state? Topic 3: Democratic Innovations / Immigrants’ Advocacy: - What have been especially innovative/creative forms of solutions to the questions of deliberation, representation, and political communication? - What are currently best practice models and acknowledged leaders in achieving significant successes in democratic inclusion and incorporation of immigrant constituents? - What new institutional designs have emerged to accommodate the interests of immigrants individually or as groups? What forms of anti-discrimination activity exist and how effective have they been in achieving their objectives? Topic 4: Perception / Categorization / Mobility / Diversity: - In what ways does perception and categorization of immigrant groups shape the public discourse? - How does this impinge on institutional designs and legal rules as well as democratic representation? - What relevance does intergenerational mobility within the immigrant community have for democracy, especially when viewed from the perspective of social/education/political mobility? Topic 5: Immigration and Resources: - What economic and social contributions are made by immigrants, what resources are required to absorb growing immigrant populations, and how does this question impinge on the state of democracy? - How do intellectual, cultural, procedural resources and abilities of immigrants affect established ideas and practices and what consequences are there for the future of local democracy? For more on the Austrian Research Association, please see: http://www.oefg.at For more on the Working Group, please see: http://www.oefg.at/text/arbeitsgem.htm#demokratie Contact: Prof. Dr. Reinhard Heinisch Department of Political Science University of Salzburg Rudolfskai 42 A-5020 Salzburg Austria Phone: +43 (0)662 8044–6615 Email: reinhard.c.heini...@sbg.ac.at Web: http://www.oefg.at/text/veranstaltungen/research_conf_democracy13.html __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org __________________________________________________
