COLLABORATION  AND  MUTUALISM    

Transformative  practices  in  times  of  crisis   V  National  Conference   Italian  Society  of  Applied  Anthropology    

Catania,  December  14-­‐17,  2017                   The   Fifth   National   Conference   of   the   Italian   Society   for   Applied   Anthropology   (SIAA)   will   be   an   occasion   for   discussion   around   the   forms   of   collaboration   and   mutualism   that   arise   in   response   to   crises,   generating   transformative   practices   for   society.   Hosted   by   the   University   of   Catania,   in   Sicily,  Italy,  the  Conference  will  unfold  in  three  days  of  discussions,  round  tables,  workshops,  and   moments  of  exchange.  It  will  be  a  useful  occasion  for  exploring  how  anthropology  can  contribute   to  re-­‐forming  the  practices  of  citizenship,  cooperation,  and  work  in  more  egalitarian,  synergistic,   and  distributive  directions.     The  Conference  seeks  to  examine  in  depth  the  theme,  keeping  in  consideration  both  the  modes  in   which  collaboration  and  mutualism  are  delineated  in  different  ethnographic  contexts,  and  the  use   that  collaboration  and  mutualism  have,  or  could  have,  in  anthropology.  How  are  collaboration  and   mutualism   informing   forms   of   living,   relationships   between   human   and   non-­‐human   agents,   economic   and   financial   systems,   practices   of   consumption,   educational   styles,   and   grassroots   initiatives?  How  are  collaboration  and  mutualism  making  an  appeal  to  the  mutual  practices  that   can   effectively   transform   for   the   better   the   routines   of   public   administration,   processes   of   sociopolitical  planning,  forms  of  cultural  production,  and  cohabitation  on  the  planet?  What  are  the   beneficial   outcomes   of   cooperative   work,   in   addition   to   the   criticisms   and   difficulties   that   intervene   en   route?   What   is   the   added   value   that   can   derive   from   collaborative   research   approaches  based  on  “reciprocal  maieutics”?  Can  these  approaches,  if  critically  applied,  give  rise   to   work   and   labor   practices   that   are   less   hierarchical   and   competitive?   To   modes,   times,   and   places  of  participation  and  public  communication  that  are  more  open?  In  what  way,  by  means  of   collaboration,  can  we  best  support  the  communities  with  which  we  interact  in  the  field?  What  are   the  applied  benefits  and  the  underlying  problematics  accompanying  the  use  of  these  methods  in   anthropology?       Collaborative  approaches  today  enjoy  a  noteworthy  success  in  civic  practices,  in  political  planning,   and   in   social   research   in   general.   The   SIAA   Conference   would   like   to   explore   their   utility   and   legitimacy  in  anthropology,  to  investigate  not  only  the  contribution  that  our  discipline  can  offer  to   specific  occupational  sectors,  but  also  its  transverse  potential  to  penetrate  in  public  space,  in  the   political   sphere,   and   in   the   world   of   work   at   large.   The   capacity   of   anthropology   to   stimulate   transformative  practices  in  times  of  crisis,  thanks  to  collaboration  and  mutualism,  depends  on  how   capable   anthropologists   are   of   putting   these   ideas   into   practice   in   their   professional   and                    

existential   trajectories.   This   is   a   recognition,   however,   that   not   only   goes   encouraged   from   the   outside,  but  also  reinforced  from  the  inside  of  the  anthropological  community.       Thanks  to  the  synergy  between  the  Italian  Society  of  Applied  Anthropology  (SIAA)  and  the  National   Professional   Association   for   Italian   Anthropology   (ANPIA),   the   various   potentials   and   criticisms   that   derive   from   collaborative   and   mutualistic   practices   will   be   plumbed   with   a   reflexive   eye,   contemplating  the  implications,  both  applied  and  epistemological,  of  doing  anthropology  in  public   spaces.   Participants   will   be   solicited   to   share   perspectives   and   methods;   theories   and   practices   useful   for   redefining   the   processes   of   production,   sharing,   and   transmission   of   anthropological   knowledge.   The   moments   of   discussion   and   experimentation   that   the   Conference   will   host   will   be   open  to  active  citizens,  social  movements,  professional  and  non-­‐profit  associations  of  the  region,   and  administrators  interested  in  an  innovative  realization  of  public  policies.       Contributions   of   diverse   natures   are   welcomed,   be   they   panels   or   workshops,   posters,   films,   audio-­‐visual   exhibitions,   performances   or   any   other   format   capable   of   reinforcing   collaborative   and   mutualistic   efforts   that,   inside   or   outside   of   the   academy,   seek   to   transform   political   and   economic   assets   to   combat   marginality   and   social   injustice.   Indeed,   the   Conference   intends   to   explore  modes  of  exchange  that  provide  reciprocal  benefit  to  individuals  and  social  collectives,  in   the  hope  that  collaboration  and  mutualism  represent  essential  conditions  for  coming  out  of  crises.        

  DEPARTMENTAL  CONFERENCE  HOSTS   The  Department  of  Political  and  Social  Sciences,  University  of  Catania   The  Department  of  Humanistic  Sciences,  University  of  Catania     COORDINATOR  OF  THE  SCIENTIFIC  COMMITTEE   Mara  Benedusi,  [email protected]     MEMBERS  OF  THE  SCIENTIFIC  COMMITTEE   Alessandro  Lutri,  Francesco  Zanotelli,  Massimo  Tommasoli,  Bruno  Riccio,  Roberta  Bonetti,   Sebastiano  Ceschi,  Sabrina  Tosi  Cambini,  Giovanni  Pizza,  Marco  B assi,  Leonardo  Piasere,  Antonino   Colajanni     ORGANIZING  SECRETARIES   Irene  Falconiere  and  Fabio  Fichera     TIMELINE   Call  for  panels  and  workshops  opens:  March  1,  2017   Call  for  panels  and  workshops  closes:  April  30,  2017   Confirmation  of  acceptance  of  submissions:  May  15,  2017     Call  for  papers  opens:  May  20,  2017   Call  for  papers  closes:  July  20,  2017   Confirmation  of  acceptance  of  submissions:  August  30,  2017     Conference  registration  opens:  September  24,  2017   Conference  registration  closes:  October  31,  2017     CONFERENCE  FEES   The  fee  for  participation  in  the  Conference  is  35  euros.  For  members  of  SIAA  and  ANPIA,  the  fee  is   reduced  to  20  euros.  There  is  no  fee  for  participation  for  students  and  those  in  precarious  financial   situations.  

CALL  FOR  PANELS  AND  WORKSHOPS    

Submission  guidelines  

Provided   here   are   the   instructions   for   submissions   for   panels   and   workshops.   Submissions   must   be   sent   by   April   30,   2017   to   the   following   e-­‐mail   addresses:   [email protected];   [email protected].  While  submission  for  papers  will  be  open  to  everybody,  at  least  one  of   the   proposed   panel/workshop   convenors   must   be   a   member   of   SIAA   at   the   time   of   submission   of   the   proposal.   Find   out   more   about   SIAA   membership   here:   https://antropologiaapplicata.com/richiesta-­‐ adesione-­‐soci/.   In   order   to   encourage   the   participation   of   anthropologists   outside   Italy,   we   will   support   foreign   researchers   in   finding   potential   co-­‐convenors   among   SIAA   members   for   their   panel/workshop   proposals.         PANELS   Like  in  preceding  years,  the  SIAA  will  host  thematic  sessions  in  which  singular  scientific  contributions  will  be   presented.   Every   session   will   have   a   duration   of   2   hours,   with   a   minimum   of   4   and   a   maximum   of   5   contributing  papers.  If  necessary,  a  panel  may  be  extended  to  4  hours,  with  a  break,  for  a  maximum  of  10   contributing   papers.   This   year,   along   with   sessions   in   Italian,   we   encourage   panels   that   are   capable   of   attracting   an   international   public,   to   be   held   in   English.   For   the   coordinators   of   panels,   we   recommend   emphasizing  the  applied  dimension  of  anthropological  research  both  in  the  drafting  of  the  panel  proposal   and   in   choosing   contributions.   Every   panel   must   provide   at   least   20   minutes   for   open   question   and   answer   discussions   with   the   public.   Proposals   should   consist   of:   panel   title,   name(s)   of   panel   convenor   or   convenors,   an   abstract   of   about   400   words,   and   a   minimal   bibliography   (not   to   exceed   4   bibliographic   references).     WORKSHOPS   The   SIAA   workshops   intend   to   strengthen   the   methodological   possibilities   of   applied   anthropology   through   experimentation,   collaboration,   interaction,   and   the   sharing   of   experience-­‐based   knowledge.   The   workshops   will   make   use   of   an   ample   spectrum   of   methodologies   (visual,   graphic,   acoustic,   and   performative).  Among  the  possible  topics,  workshops  in  the  following  areas  are  welcomed:     • Non-­‐textual,   non-­‐linear,   and   non-­‐typically   academic   forms   of   presenting   anthropological   knowledge;   • Experimentations  for  exploring  how  anthropological  approaches  (including  participant  observation)   can  effectively  be  collaborative  and  transformative;     • Best   practices   for   the   creation   of   work   environments   capable   of   facilitating   the   exchange   of   knowledge  in  groups,  and  of  generating  communal  ethnographic  strategies;     • Use  of  new  communication  and  information  technologies  for  supporting  ethnographic  research.       In  choosing  participants,  the  committee  will  consider  the  following  two  criteria:   • Experience:  The  workshop  should  be  a  place  in  which  the  participants  engage  in  activities  that  have   a  practical/applied  nature  and  are  linked  to  the  dimension  of  doing/making,  and  not  just  a  context   to  present  personal  research  findings  to  colleagues;   • Collaboration:   the   workshop   should   encourage   a   collaborative   dimension,   either   between   anthropologists   or   between   anthropologists   and   other   experts/people   (for   example,   designers,   artists,  engineers,  activists,  performers,  urban  planners,  architects,  social  workers,  etc.).       Every   workshop   can   have   a   duration   of   either   2   or   4   hours,   depending   on   the   needs   of   the   organizers.   Proposals  should  include  a  400-­‐word  abstract  in  which  it  is  clearly  indicated:  1)  the  title  of  the  workshop,  2)   the  name(s)  of  the  workshop  organizer(s),  3)  the  requested  time  slot  of  2  or  4  hours,  4)  the  objectives  and   purpose  of  the  workshop,  4)  the  modes  of  presentation  or  facilitation,  and  5)  possible  audience(s).  A  short,   200-­‐word  personal  bio  is  also  requested.  The  maximum  number  of  participants  for  workshops  is  25.