Collaborative Research - Working Groups

Local Worlds

The "Local Worlds" Working Group has been exploring the intersection of space, culture, and power since it began in Autumn 2007. We've been asking, what is a local domain of practice, and how are they situated in wider structures of meaning and power?

We are interested in "local worlds" -- distinct domains of human knowledge and practice -- in their various manifestations through ethnography, historiography, biography, fiction, performance, art, and architecture. These local worlds are manifest in sites as diverse as everyday routines, oral narratives, official documents, images, ritual, etc. The group will consider how to talk about and make sense of local worlds of knowledge and practice and how to think theoretically about human endeavor in a way that yields insightful, empirically grounded scholarship on the ways of being human.

This faculty reading group seeks to build an interdisciplinary discussion at OSU around such questions. We have looked at approaches from cultural anthropology, human geography, linguistics, and the "critical international relations" literature in political science. Future meetings will include looks at particular monographs or other works that elegantly divulge particular local worlds in some fashion. View posted readings.

This group is open to faculty from any department or program; as well as anyone else interested. We welcome both those already engaged in such research, and those merely interested. The interest list includes individuals from over 20 departments in 5 OSU colleges, for example: Geography, English, Comparative Studies, Political Science, Anthropology, Sociology, History, German, French, Spanish, Near Eastern Lang & Cultures, East Asian Lang & Lit, Folklore, Women's Studies, Linguistics, Philosophy, Art History, Music, Education/ Human Ecology, and Social Work.

The format is interdisciplinary mutual engagement, and not a traditional "talk". Our premise is that exciting things happen when interesting intellects gather in a convivial atmosphere. Exquisite desserts, coffee, tea, are always served. For more information, or to be put on the interest email list, please contact Morgan Liu (liu.737@osu.edu) or Joel Wainwright (wainwright.11@osu.edu).

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