5th Cosmobilities Conference
October 16 - 17, 2008
Academy of Fine Arts, Munich (Germany)

Tracing the new mobilities regimes
The analytical power of the social sciences and the arts

In a certain way the social sciences and some forms of contemporary arts
have a similar intention: to analyze modern societies and cultures. They
use specific methods, methodologies and techniques to explore and to
signify the fundamental changes and phenomena characteristic for the world
of today. Mobility, flexibility, acceleration and the rise of a globally
networked society are topics for many scientists and artists as well.

In the early nineteenth century, there was a conflict that arose between
the literary and scientific intellectuals of Europe, as they competed for
recognition as the chief analysts of the new industrial society in which
they lived. Sociology was conceived as the third major discipline, a
hybrid of the scientific and literary traditions. This conference targets
not to a conflict but to a new discourse on the potentials the fine arts
and the social sciences have to analyze contemporary phenomena of mobility
in its cultural and societal relevance.

We encourage scientists from all disciplines dealing with mobility
(sociology, ethnology, anthropology, history, art history and so forth)
and artists to give papers on different aspects of mobility, arts and
modern life.
In particular, the conference focuses on the analysis and interpretation
of the new mobilities regimes as they occur in respect to border regimes
and migration, the consequences of mobile work and the increasing pressure
on the working force to be mobile and to travel, the new technological
environments enabling people and global economies to be mobile and so forth.

Please, send abstracts no longer than 300 words and no later than March 1,
2008 to
sven.kesselringcosmobilities.net (Cosmobilities Network) or
susanne.witzgalladbk.mhn.de (Munich Academy of Fine Arts). For details visit
www.cosmobilities.net.