Deadline: December 15, 2024
2025 Detroit Pre-Conference to the American Association of Geographers (AAG)
March 22 & 23, 2025
Organizers: Evangeline McGlynn (Harvard), Ariel Otruba (Virginia Tech), Kate Shields (Rhodes College), and Megan Dixon (College of Idaho)
Since the escalation of Russia’s war in Ukraine in 2022, scholars working on the post-Soviet world have begun critical conversations reflecting on the dominance of Russian centered scholarship in the field. Naming this region has proven difficult and produced long and unwieldy labels such as “Russian, Eastern European, and Central Asian” studies. Previous attempts at renaming the region, for example, the 2016 renaming of the “Russian, Central Eurasian, and East European” specialty group as the “Eurasian” specialty group, sought to include colleagues working in the post-Soviet peripheries and build bridges beyond the former Soviet world. While within AAG, renaming the group originally led to productive conversations across regional divisions; these larger engagements were fleeting.
Given the geopolitical context of 2024-25, the time is ripe to revisit how we define this region from a more critical perspective. A literal interpretation of Eurasia encompasses the entirety of the landmass of Europe and Asia, but the term is rarely invoked as such a broad reference. In anglophone academic circles, “Eurasia” has been an attempt at a more inclusive (and fuzzy) definition for the post-Soviet world, but there are multiple and overlapping notions of Eurasia across academic, economic, and political realms. For example, Eurasia has been used as a synonym for a pan-Turkic project from Istanbul to Xinjiang. Conversely, the Eurasian Trade Union is a Russian-led foil to European economic influence, part of Russia’s larger imperialist struggle and civilizational myth making. These terms are further complicated in contexts of mixed identities where, for example, historian Emma Teng uses the term to Eurasian in reference to the relationships between “Westerners” and “Asians” in the US. All of these “Eurasias” come with distinct political agendas, rarely put into conversation with each other.
Initiated by geographers of the Caucasus, Central Asia and Siberia, frequently peripheralized areas of the Soviet and post-Soviet world, this mini-conference stream will engage with the multiple notions “Eurasia” and its antecedents. What work do these different “Eurasias” do? What conversations do they enable/disable and what theoretical interventions do they make (im)possible? At the same time, what conversations and theoretical interventions are necessary in our current moment for scholars who work in post-Soviet places? What kinds of regional names and definitions (Eurasia or otherwise) could enable the work we need to do?
As political geographers and regional specialists of the culturally and increasingly politically diverse space, we aim to form panels on the following themes (broadly construed):Eurasia as intellectual infrastructure, e.g., work that engages with the question of what we gain—or lose—by invoking “Eurasia.” The cross-cultural legacies or use of the concept of Eurasia as a geopolitical tool, e.g., Russian vs Turkish vs Chinese Eurasianisms. Alternative terminologies, imaginaries, and regionalisms, e.g., environmental or material provocations of region within that space.
Abstract Submission:
Please submit a paper title and 250-word abstract by December 15, 2024 by completing this form for the PGSG Pre-Conference. Abstract acceptance notifications will be distributed in late January. Questions regarding Problematizing “Eurasia” should be sent to Evangeline McGlynn (emcglynn@fas.harvard.edu), Ariel Otruba (arielotruba@gmail.com , Kate Shields (shieldsk@rhodes.edu), and Megan Dixon (mdixon@collegeofidaho.edu).
Additional 2025 Detroit Pre-conference Information:
DatesSaturday, March 22: Paper sessions at Michigan State University’s Detroit Center (~8:30am-4pm, with optional dinner to follow) Sunday, March 23: D-tour (morning) and plenary (afternoon) with Detroit organizers
LocationThe MSU Detroit Center (3408 Woodward Ave., Detroit) is an easy commute from the main conference location via public transportation or rideshare.
Local Institutional HostsDept. of Geography, Michigan State University (Katie Brown, Mehmet Ero?lu, Dr. Kyle Evered)
Funding SponsorsBlack Ecologies Lab (Rutgers; Drs. J.T. Roane and Teona Williams) Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy (UCLA; Dr. Ananya Roy) Political Geography Specialty Group (AAG) Cultural and Political Ecology Specialty Group (AAG)
Events March 22 Paper Sessions: throughout the day Lunch: small groups, near MSU Detroit Center (self-pay) Dinner: restaurant near MSU Detroit Center; space is limited (self-pay) March 23 D-tour (morning) with Jamon Jordan, Detroit’s first official historian; space is limited Lunch: the D-tour will stop at a location (self-pay) Plenary (afternoon) on Detroit Activist Geographies (panelists to be announced) Dinner: informal small groups after plenary (self-pay)
Possible Paper Themes (not exhaustive/exclusive)Black Ecologies and Geographies Borders and Migration Indigenous Geographies Inequality and Democracy Latinx Geographies Political Geographies Problematizing ‘Eurasia’
Deadlines and RegistrationAbstract Submission (presenters only): Dec. 15, 2024 Complete all sections of this form, including paper title and 250-word abstract. Abstract acceptance notifications will be distributed in late January. Registration (non-presenters): February 1, 2024 Complete ‘All Attendees’ sections of this form. For events with limited space (March 22 dinner; March 23 D-tour), space will be allocated on a rolling basis. There will likely be a waitlist. You will be notified regarding your participation status as soon as possible, but no later than mid-February. If your plans change prior to the event, please re-submit or edit your form.
Costs and PaymentCosts Paper Sessions on Saturday, March 22 Tenure-Track and Permanent Faculty: $25 Students, Contingent Faculty, and Members of the Public: free D-tour on Sunday, March 23 All participants: ~$40 (exact cost to be confirmed) Please wait to pay until you have been notified regarding your participation. Plenary on Sunday, March 23 Freewill donation at the door to benefit Detroit organizations Payment We will use electronic payment via the AAG’s central infrastructure. Payments will be accepted via credit card or PayPal. Submit your payment via the AAG’s Political Geography Specialty Group site here. Click “Donate.” Ensure that “Political Geography Specialty Group” is listed under “Fund.” Please write “Preconference” in the “In Honor/Memory Of” section. Include your full name and contact information. You will receive a receipt via email. Please maintain a printed or digital copy of your receipt (or screenshot). You will be asked to confirm your payment at event check-in.
Lodging and TransportWe recommend using the same lodging that you will use for the main AAG conference. The MSU Detroit Center is an easy commute from the main conference location using public transportation (QLINE or Bus Route 4) or rideshare.
Funding OpportunitiesGraduate students are encouraged to apply for a $225 PGSG Student Travel Grant to attend the preconference. Deadline: Dec. 15, 2024. We expect to award 7-10 grants. Preference is given to individuals presenting a paper at the pre-conference. The PGSG will fund a $300 Morrill Engagement Travel Award to support the attendance of an individual who has used their political geographic work to affect change. Deadline: Dec. 15, 2024.
Questions? Updates will be posted to the PGSG website. Please direct any questions to the Preconference Co-Organizers as follows:General questions or questions regarding the paper sessions or plenary Kate Coddington (kcoddington@albany.edu) and Meredith DeBoom (deboom@mailbox.sc.edu) Questions regarding the D-tour Jessi Quizar (jquizar@uw.edu) and Jamaal Wright (wrightw@ufl.edu)