Border Futures from a Cultural Studies Perspective

The KWG section “Cultural Border Studies”, which includes seven UniGR-CBS members, met from 10 to 12 October 2024 at the University of Halle-Wittenberg. During the 9th annual conference of the Kulturwissenschaftliche Gesellschaft e.V., which brought together scholars from Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg, the section organized a panel on the future of borders. The discussions focused on future practices and visions of borders in the context of digitalization, securitization, and migration, as well as the associated methodological challenges.

The speakers painted a picture of complex borders, characterized by growing objectification and heightened individualization in the registration and governance of refugees. From a methodological perspective, it is therefore crucial to consider more thoroughly the volatile and intersectional logics of ordering and their impact, particularly from the viewpoint of border subjects and other involved actors. The concluding discussion with the audience demonstrated that Cultural Border Studies are well-positioned to analyze anticipated border futures with differentiated approaches and immersive methodologies.

Additionally, the section held its annual fall meeting, where networking efforts were made, ongoing projects were reviewed, and new collaborations were initiated. This year, the focus was on a project to compile an anthology offering in-depth insights into interdisciplinary Cultural Border Studies. Furthermore, the work plan for the coming year was coordinated, with the goal of reaching more border scholars with a cultural studies background and integrating them more closely into future activities.

The “Cultural Border Studies” section was founded in 2017 by UniGR-CBS members from the University of Luxembourg and Saarland University. Since then, the circle of border scholars has expanded to include the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) and the University of Duisburg-Essen. The group meets regularly, organizes events, and collaborates on various projects. A milestone in the section's work is the book series Border Studies. Cultures, Spaces, Orders, which was launched in collaboration with the NOMOS publishing house as a platform for publishing Cultural Border Studies in German-speaking countries. In addition to the work “Grenzforschung: Handbuch für Wissenschaft und Studium” (2021), the anthology “Border Complexities and Logics of Dis/Order” (2024) was recently published in this series.
 

More information about the book series “Border Studies. Cultures, Spaces, Orders”

More information about the KWG section “Kulturwissenschaftliche Border Studies”