Constructing ‘Problematic’ Identities: Inclusive Political Settlements

Political Settlements Research Programme team member Jan Pospisil will be presenting programme research on ‘identity cleavages in post-conflict societies: inclusive political settlements as a solution’ at the Scottish Centre for Crime & Justice Research symposium ‘Constructing ‘Problematic’ Identities on Friday 18th December.

The day aims to consolidate several diverse areas of work and will provide a forum for discussion and debate around the construction and re-presentation of identities, the meanings within which they are framed, the structures in which they are embedded and the social contexts in which they are performed.

The key objectives of the seminar are:

• To consider the ways in which some individuals and groups become ‘problematised’ and subject to regulation as a result of their attachment to cultural and/or national constructs, while others may feel that their security is threatened by the same cultural and/or national constructs;
• To explore the gap between law and rights-based approaches to policy within specific cultural contexts;
• To examine the antinomies and contradictions surrounding ‘civic society’ and explore the efficacy of civic society approaches to challenging and addressing ‘intolerance’.

The event is funded by the SCCJR and supported by the School of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling. It is hoped that by drawing on contemporary examples from Scotland, and learning from international experiences, seminar participants can explore how the state and civic society respond to social divisions in increasingly diverse and multi-cultural societies. The organisers are particularly interested in processes of criminalisation and access to justice.

Those interested in attending should contact Dr Margaret Malloch (m.s.malloch@stir.ac.uk) or Dr Niall Hamilton-Smith (niall.hamilton-smith@stir.ac.uk).

Programme: Constructing ‘Problematic’ Identities [PDF]

Source: SCCJR