This symposium brings together scholars working in, on, from, or with the Arab world who are developing innovative ethnographic practices and grappling with the epistemological and political challenges of anthropological research in the region. Participants will critically engage with classical anthropological debates and rethink ethnographic traditions through diverse intellectual lineages across the Arab world and beyond.
Themes include:
Ethnographic research amidst colonial legacies and imperial complicity
Alternative and experimental methodologies emerging from the Arab world
Comparative dialogues with Black, Indigenous, and Global South scholarship
Ethics, refusal, excess, critique, and the politics of scale in ethnography
The liberatory and humanistic potential of anthropology today
Format
The event will consist of:
Public Symposium – presentations and discussions (open)
Closed Workshop – collaborative review of full papers (invited participants only)
The workshop aims to prepare selected papers for submission to a peer-reviewed journal (e.g. Cultural Anthropology).
Submission Guidelines
We invite submissions from PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scholars.
Please send:
– A short bio (150–200 words)
– A paper abstract (300–400 words)
to eeaw_conf@dohainstitute.edu.qa by August 10, 2025
Languages: Submissions are welcome in English or Arabic.
Important Dates:
– Submission deadline: 10 August 2025
– Notification of acceptance: 10 September 2025
– Full paper due: 10 November 2025 (approx. 8000 words incl. bibliography)
– Symposium & Workshop: 15–16 December 2025
Participation is contingent on submitting a full paper by the deadline.
Funding
Travel, accommodation, and meals for accepted participants will be covered by the School of Social Sciences and Humanities at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.