Indigenous Ecumenes

A Panel on “Indigenous Ecumenes”
as part of the 3rd Annual International Conference on Anthropology
12-15 June 2017, Athens, Greece

Sponsored by the  Athens Journal of Social Sciences

The Anthropology & Demography Unit of ATINER will hold A Panel on “Indigenous Ecumenes” as part of the 3rd Annual International Conference on Anthropology, 12-15 June 2017, Athens, Greece sponsored by the Athens Journal of Social Sciences.

This panel will discuss the concept ecumene as a framing concept and method for anthropology. Ecumene derives from ancient Greek oikoumene “known inhabited world” (oikos “home”) that was the basis for descriptions by Greek scholars of regions and peoples across the ancient world. Whereas the term has been used almost purely in terms of the ancient “civilised” world, today it is possible to think about “ecumene” in a variety of contexts. The first century Greco Roman scholar Strabo provided for oikoumene to have a relativistic meaning with multiple ecumenes from different global positions. The Panel will consider a renewal of this classical idea for contemporary scholarship. A comparative ecumenes approach emphases part-whole relations and the horizontal integration of peoples within larger units from their point of view. It places the intensive study of particular peoples into the context of the larger world. The construct of indigenous ecumenes is different from the idea of culture and provides an alternative to the reductionism of modern concepts. The idea of ecumenes provides an integrative, flexible, humanistic approach for describing and analyzing the inhabited world and its various parts. Papers are invited on the meanings and potential applications of this concept for anthropology and related disciplines today.

Fee structure information is available on https://www.atiner.gr/fees.

Special arrangements will be made with a local hotel for a limited number of rooms at a special conference rate. In addition, a number of special events will be organized: A Greek night of entertainment with dinner, a special one-day cruise to selected Greek islands, an archaeological tour of Athens and a one-day visit to Delphi. Details of the social program are available here.

Please submit an abstract (email only) to: atiner@atiner.gr, using the abstract submission form by the 15 April 2017 to: Dr. Christopher Robert Morgan, Chair, Department of Pacific and Asian Studies, University of Victoria, Canada. Please include: Title of Paper, Full Name (s), Current Position, Institutional Affiliation, an email address and at least 3 keywords that best describe the subject of your submission. Decisions are reached within 4 weeks.

If your submission is accepted, you will receive information on registration deadlines and paper submission requirements. Should you wish to participate in the Conference without presenting a paper, for example, to chair a session, to evaluate papers which are to be included in the conference proceedings or books, to contribute to the editing of a book, or any other contribution, please send an email to Dr. Gregory T. Papanikos, President, ATINER (president@atiner.gr).

The association was established in 1995 as an independent world association of Academics and Researchers. Its mission is to act as a forum where Academics and Researchers from all over the world can meet in Athens, in order to exchange ideas on their research, and to discuss future developments in their disciplines.

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Academically, the Association is organized into seven Divisions and 37 Units.  Each Unit organizes at least an Annual International Conference, and may also undertake various small and large research projects.

Academics and Researchers are more than welcome to become members and to contribute to ATINER’s objectives. If you would like to become a member, please download the relevant form (membership form). For more information on how to become a member, please send an email to: info@atiner.gr.