Migration in Africa - Call for Papers

Call for papers - Special Issue on Migration in Africa – Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Challenges

The journal Stichproben. Wiener Zeitschrift für kritische Afrikastudien/ Vienna Journal of African Studies is preparing a special issue on migration in Africa, to appear in spring 2005 (Stichproben Nr.8/2005) and invites anyone interested in contributing an article, a research note, or a book review to submit proposals for articles (short abstracts) by Friday, 3rd of November, 2004 to the editors of the volume (see below for contact adress). We particularly welcome contributions from young researchers.

Focus of the issue

Evidently, migration is too vast a topic to be comprehensively covered in any single publication. In a sense, scientific debates on migration in Africa may be regarded as even more extensive, if debates on historical migrations (human settlement, “Bantu migrations”, the Mfecane and the Great Trek in South Africa, the Atlantic and Arab Slave Trade) as well as the importance of narratives of migration for contemporary discourses of identity (for example in the Great Lakes region of Africa) are taken into account. Therefore, any discussion of migration in Africa must be limited to the exploration of certain aspects of migratory phenomena and cannot claim to be comprehensive.

Nevertheless, we would like to sketch both the most important aspects of the history of migration in Africa and that of research on migration in an introductory chapter to the issue. The remainder of the special issue shall be divided into two to three thematic sections, depending on the nature of the articles submitted. While we would like to propose thematic areas that could be explored, the division into thematic sections should not discourage contributions that analyze and reflect other issues of migration in Africa.

We suggest the following thematic areas:

(1) Relatively little explored histories of migration, e.g. labour migration from Subsaharan Africa to the Gulf and/or North Africa; or intra-African migration to South(ern) Africa

(2) cultures of migration: migration as a culturally determined project (e.g. migration plans, return), including migration as a gendered project

(3) Migration, statehood and identity – citizenship & belonging

(4) Migration/ refugee policies of African states

Abstracts of the proposed papers should be sent to the editors by Wednesday, 3rd of November, 2004.

Albert.Kraler@icmpd.org

Veronika.Bilger@icmpd.org

The deadline for the final versions of the paper is Friday, 11th February, 2005.

The journal

The journal Stichproben. Wiener Zeitschrift für kritische Afrikastudien / Vienna Journal of African Studies is a regular, interdisciplinary and specialized journal on African Studies, published twice a year and based at the Department of African Studies of the University of Vienna (Austria).

The journal’s main focus is on contemporary issues concerning Africa and the wider African diaspora. It mainly publishes in German and English, but also accepts articles in French, and occasionally, in major African languages (with translations in German added).

Founded by a group of students and members of the Department of African Studies, the journal particularly welcomes contributions from younger researchers and graduate students. Past issues of the journal can be accessed online under www.univie.ac.at/ecco/stichproben/

Information for Contributors

Language: Preferably, articles should be written in German or English, but French is also accepted.

Abstract: Please add a short abstract in the language of the manuscript and possibly also in one of the two other languages. If unable to do so, translation can be taken care of at sufficient notice.

CV: Please provide a brief curriculum vitae (about 2 lines).

Quotation Rules: Please cite at the appropriate point in the text by giving the name of the author, the year of publication and the page, e.g. (Mazrui 1979, 23).

Provide a bibliography at the end of the text in which all items are listed alphabetically by the name of the author and, in the case of multiple entries for one author, by year of publication, e.g.:

Sebba, M. 1993. London Jamaican. Language systems in interaction. Longman. London.

Wong, A. 1986. "Creole as a language of power and solidarity", in: Sutcliffe, D. & A. Wong (eds.). The Language of the Black Experience. Cultural expression through word and sound in the Caribbean and Black Britain. Basil Blackwell. Oxford. pp 109-122.

Footnotes should not be used excessively.

Format: The entire manuscript should be formatted in Palatino Linotype, font size 13, 1.2 spacing, and should not exceed 25 pages.

------------------------------------------------------

UNIVERSITÄT WIEN

Institut für Afrikanistik

Department of African Studies

Adresse: Spitalgasse 2, Hof 5.1, A-1090 Wien – Austria

Tel.: +431 4277 43201, Fax.: +431 4277 9432, E-mail: afrikanistik@univie.ac.at