News

The Chair of African Legal Studies at the University of Bayreuth announces its upcoming conference, Belonging and the Law as Relational Praxis, from 05-07 May 2025. Celebrating its 5-year anniversary, the event explores law’s role in shaping inclusion, identity, and belonging.

Bringing together scholars from diverse disciplines, discussions will examine how legal norms interact with social, cultural, and political structures. Topics include migration, indigenous sovereignty, environmental justice, and digital inclusion. A workshop will refine future research and teaching on law and belonging, addressing questions such as:

• How does law mediate the relational dynamics of belonging in contexts where identities and interests conflict (e.g., migration, indigenous sovereignty, or environmental justice)?
• In what ways do legal frameworks reinforce or challenge power hierarchies that shape belonging?
• How do non-legal norms (e.g., cultural practices or social expectations) interact with formal legal systems to influence belonging?
• What are the emotional and psychological dimensions of belonging, and how are these shaped by legal processes?
• What role do collective rights play in enhancing sustainable communities, for example in environmental management or digital architecture
• Can law itself belong to communities it governs, or is it inherently external and imposed?
  

Scholars are invited to submit abstracts (max. 300 words) by 25 March 2025. Final papers, due by 31 July 31 2025, will be included in an edited volume published in October 2025.

For the full call, including all details, please click here. We look forward to your participation!