Les Ateliers de recherche transfrontalière 2008-2009 : Maison des sciences de l’Homme de Lorraine – Université de Luxembourg

Les Ateliers de recherche transfrontalière 2008-2009 : Maison des sciences de l’Homme de Lorraine – Université de Luxembourg

Border Region
France, Luxembourg, Lorraine
Language(s)
Français
Introduction

Brief reflection on the cross-border research workshop of the Maison de Sciences de l'Homme of the University of Lorraine in collaboration with the University of Luxembourg.

Summary

The cross-border research workshops were organized by the researchers from the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme of the University of Lorraine (MHSL) in collaboration with researchers from the University of Luxembourg. The main topic was the definition of the concept of “border.” Between 2008 and 2009, three workshops took place in order to provide the researchers with a meeting place where they could share and exchange ideas and knowledge.

Content

Starting in 2005, a seminar was organized, dedicated to the topic of the border in a broad sense. The project "Border, Territories, Exchange" (1st Axis of the MHSL) came out of this seminar. This project is dedicated to a multidisciplinary reflection on the definition of the concept of “border.” The questions that formed the basis of the empirical research were based on resistance, persistence, and traces of borders; representations of territories and borders as well as the dynamics of transcultural and cross-border exchanges. The three main subjects of study are (1) the border areas visited (political dispositives and social perceptions), (2) media construction and information practices at the level of the Greater Region and (3) the impact of cultural events on transnational representations.

In addition to these studies, the researchers have highlighted the need to provide places for exchange. In order to meet this need, the cross-border research workshops were organized by the researchers of the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme of the University of Lorraine (MHSL) in collaboration with the University of Luxembourg. The main topic was the definition of the concept of “border.” Between 2008 and 2009 three workshops took place in order to provide the researchers with a meeting place where they could share and exchange ideas and knowledge. The three workshops covered: (1) initial results of the project "Borders, Territories and Exchanges," (2) "Discursive Construction and Cultural Practices of the Greater Region" and (3) "Cultural Spaces in the Greater Region." To ensure mutual enrichment, the speakers were asked to focus their presentation on the methodological and theoretical difficulties encountered in their research. Some of the reflections that have emerged from these seminars can be found in the book La construction des territoires en Europe. Luxembourg et Grande Région: Avis de recherches (The construction of the territories in Europe. Luxembourg and the Greater Region: a profile).

Conclusions

The need for the mutual use of resources and capitalization has been put forward, although there are limits to the establishment of a multidisciplinary and international network, such as the possibility of a gathering of all those involved or the availability of financial and material resources.

Key Messages
  • The author emphasizes the importance of the meeting places in order to offer researchers of different disciplines and institutions an opportunity to exchange ideas about the definition of the term “border.”
  • These workshops also make it possible to become acquainted with the research carried out on the other side of the border, to provide knowledge for sharing and to exchange ideas about the conceptual developments.
  • The topics of the three workshops were: (1) initial results of the project "Borders, Territories and Exchanges," (2) "Discursive Construction and Cultural Practices of the Greater Region" and (3) "Cultural Spaces in the Greater Region."
Lead

Maison des sciences de l’Homme de Lorraine en collaboration avec l’Université du Luxembourg

Contact Person(s)

Gaëlle Crenn

Fonction
Maîtresse de conférences
Organisation
Crem, Université de Lorraine, France
Date of creation
2018
Date