This course is part of the spring 2026 PhD-week
Course content
A central question for research that deals with human societies is arguably the geographical space that the study is set within. Both area studies and history have a tradition of operating within clearly delineated geographical spaces and, in many cases, the geographical space defines the field of study itself. One example is the area studies field of Eastern European studies, another, British history. In recent years, however, this approach has been challenged by an increased focus on globalisation and by the emergence of global studies as a field of research where, seemingly, the geographical space is the entire Earth. At the same time, established geographical categories such as the USA for research in American studies remain stable, while others, such as ‘Eastern Europe’, or the ’post-Soviet space’ are being challenged through geographical reimagining in the case of the former, and perspectives of decolonisation in the latter. The emergence of global studies also raises the question of how the local geographical space is to be understood. What are, for example, the implications of studying local history in a global context, as opposed to the more traditional framework of a certain country?
In this course, we will start from the premise that all geographical spaces, including the global, are constructed and subject to negotiation, and that the choice of a certain space invariably has implications for the knowledge we establish through our research. We will focus on the four key concepts and geographical spaces of: global, area, state and local. The main task for the participants in the course will be to reflect on the geographical space that their own PhD-project is set within, assessing the possibilities and limitations, which the adoption of this framework presents to their research.
This is a 1 ECTS course.
Preparation and course work
All participants are expected to cover the reading before the seminar and must submit a 1-page position paper on Wednesday 27 May. The paper should be submitted in the course Canvas room. All participants will need to read all the position papers. In the paper you should address the following three questions:
- What is the central research question, or questions that your PhD-project investigates?
- Which geographical space is your project set within?
- What is the significance of the geographical space for the knowledge your project seeks to establish?
To complete the course, all participants must submit a 3-page essay to the course teachers on 18 June at the latest. The essay should be a further development of the position paper, where you incorporate any insights you gained during the course day and reflect further on the impact the geographical space of your study has on the knowledge you work to establish: What kind of knowledge-production does the geographical space facilitate, and not? What are the possibilities and limitations of your geographical space? In this final essay, you will also need to engage with the course reading.
This course uses the learning management system Canvas
Programme
09:00-10:00 – Introduction. Lecture by Atle L. Wold and Helge Blakkisrud (ILOS)
10:00-10:15 – Break
10:15-11:00 – Group work 1: Groups of c. 3 will discuss a specific case from the perspective of different geographical spaces.
11:00-11:15 – Break
11:15-12:00 – Groups present their findings followed by plenary discussion comparing these findings.
12:00-13:00 – Lunch
13:00-13:30 – "Shattered Landscapes: War, Belonging, and the Sonic Reconfiguration of Space", lecture by Anna Chebotarova (ILOS)
13:30-13:45 – Questions and break
13:45-14:45 – Group work 2: Groups of 3 discuss each other’s position papers.
14:45-15:00 – Break
15:00-16:00 – Plenary discussion of papers.
Course readings
- Jan Nederveen Pieterse (2013) What is Global Studies?, Globalizations, 10:4, 499-514, DOI: 10.1080/14747731.2013.806746
- Mark Juergensmeyer (2013) What is Global Studies?, Globalizations, 10:6, 765-769, DOI: 10.1080/14747731.2013.845956
- Lynn Hunt, Writing History in the Global Era (W. W. Norton & Company, New York), pp. 1-77.
- Jan Kubik, ‘How to think about “area” in Area Studies?’, in Zoran Milutinovic (ed), The Rebirth of Area Studies: Challenges for History, Politics and International Relations in the 21st Century (I.B.Tauris, London, 2015), pp. 53-90.
- Mark R. Beissinger, ‘Disciplinarity, interdisciplinarity and the plurality of Area Studies: A view from the social sciences’, in Zoran Milutinovic (ed), The Rebirth of Area Studies: Challenges for History, Politics and International Relations in the 21st Century (I.B.Tauris, London, 2015), pp. 129- 150.
- ‘Local history’: translation of an article by the Institute of Local History at the National Library of Norway
Course convenors
Professor Atle L. Wold, ILOS
Associate Professor Helge Blakkisrud, ILOS
Registration
Registration opens on 25 February.
Responsible department:
Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages