Spatial Analysis in the Humanities: Workshop

The humanities are currently faced with a major conceptual and methodological reorientation known as the “spatial turn.” This reorientation proceeds from the elementary recognition that all human action literally takes place and that this spatial
dimension of social interaction is of paramount importance for understanding all of the classic questions about the human condition.  Many humanities scholars, while fully aware of recent work inspired by the spatial turn, are unclear about how to apply the new theories of spatiality and embodiment to their fields of analysis. This intensive one-day workshop will introduce participants to specific methods and interpretive practices across a range of empirical concerns, focusing on the geographic configuration of socio-cultural forms; the cyberspatial representation of socio-cultural spaces; the interpretation of spatiality in cinema and photography; and the re-conceptualization of classic humanities paradigms as emplaced and embodied.  Workshop leaders (Dimendberg, Ethington, and Thomas) will make presentations showing specific examples of theories applied to empirical cases, and then will work one-on-one with a limited number of faculty and post-doctoral participants, who will have read a small set of pre-assigned texts.  Leaders will have reviewed abstracts of participants’ current research projects prior to the workshop, and will offer constructive suggestions.  The presentations will be videotaped and made available free online, along with the workshop syllabus, on a site hosted by the USC Center for Transformative Scholarship.

Workshop Leaders:

Edward Dimendberg (UC Irvine)
Philip J. Ethington (USC)
Julia Adeney Thomas (University of Notre Dame)

How to Participate:

RSVP required. To reserve a space, please email Phil Ethington, philipje@usc.edu, with SPATIAL ANALYSIS HUMANITIES in the subject line.

Please include:
1. Your current CV, so we may understand your discipline and work to date.

2. A brief abstract (not to exceed one page) of your current project that may involve some form of spatial analysis. These abstracts will be carefully reviewed by the co-leaders prior to the work shop.

Click here to view the flyer for Spatial Analysis in the Humanities: An Advanced Workshop for Faculty, Advanced Ph.D. (ABD) Students and Post-Docs on Geographic, Cyberspatial, Photographic, and Cinematic Spaces, Places, and Embodiments