Critical Studies of Power and the Political Network
The network aims to serve as a platform for researchers whose work engages with the concepts of power, politics, and the political in analyses of society, while maintaining a critical approach to knowledge production and theory. Relevant research orientations include feminism, post-structuralism, critical discourse analysis (CDA), post-humanism, Foucauldian approaches, postcolonial studies, and Marxism.
The network organises an annual conference (the Karlstad Symposium) and also arranges meetings and/or working groups in connection with the annual conference of the Swedish Political Science Association (SWEPSA). At present, the network’s activities are primarily concentrated in three main contexts (see below).
The network is formally affiliated with the Swedish Political Science Association, but it also welcomes researchers from other disciplines whose interests align with the focus described above. There is no formal leadership structure; however, the individuals listed on the right-hand side of this page can be contacted with questions or inquiries. If needed, the structure may become more formalised in the future, but for now the network primarily operates as a flexible and loosely organised collaboration.
Mailing list
Researchers who are interested are welcome to join the network’s mailing list. The purpose of the list is to share information about conferences, seminars, calls for papers, and similar activities. It is also used to circulate practical information before and after network meetings (see below).
If you would like to join the mailing list, please contact Maria Alakangas: Maria.Alakangas@kau.se
The Karlstad Symposium
The network aims to organise a symposium each spring where members can meet and work on different questions and projects. The symposium does not primarily focus on traditional paper presentations, although this is possible. Instead, it emphasises alternative formats for scholarly and creative exchange, as well as discussions about the network’s future activities.
Workshop at the SWEPSA annual meeting
The Swedish Political Science Association holds its annual conference at different universities each autumn. The network aims to organise a workshop in collaboration with the hosting department. During the workshop, participants present and discuss papers over the course of three days. In addition, the network seeks to organise a shorter meeting to discuss practical matters related to the network.