Module 8: Spaces of Interculturality

Fribourg, May 15./16. 2009

Organizers: Profs. François Ruegg & Véronique Pache, UniFr

This seminar, divided into four parts, will be devoted to the analysis of intercultural relationships as they are formed in different contexts and spheres of activity. The aim is to conceive these relations in their local and global, private and public, societal and interindividual, cooperative and conflictive dimensions. After a first meeting devoted to the critical reflection of the concept of interculturality the subsequent sessions will analyze the representations and practices existing at micro-, meso- and macro-social levels and approach the strategies developed by individual and collective actors according to the research projects of the participants and the problems they raise.

Intercultural relationships can be studied in the religious, commercial and political domains and can be examined on the basis of exemplary research that has been conducted in varied sociocultural and political contexts. Intercultural relationships can also be analyzed in the context of market transactions in the private and public spheres. We may examine intercultural relationships that merchants establish with their clients and partners as well as the relationships of employers and employees, often of migrant background, in the area of domestic work and in the context of the stratification of reproductive work. Finally we will also consider intercultural relations in the domain of kinship, in "intercultural alliances".

Invited experts

Thierry Zarcone
Spyros Spyrou