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Call for papers: "The African Genome at the Disciplinary Crossroads: how to widen the scope of genomics’ methods across to the humanities and social sciences"
This conference brings together scholars across the traditional "divide" between the natural sciences and the social sciences and humanities in order to explore how issues of identity and ethnicity play out in genomics research.
Conference organized by the Centre for African Studies and the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Basel on behalf of the Swiss Society for African Studies with financial support from the Swiss Academy of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Convenor: Henri Michel Yéré, Centre for African Studies and Department of Social Sciences, University of Basel
When, where: 1−4 September 2025, University of Basel, Switzerland
Submission of abstracts: 31 January 2025
Acceptance of abstracts: 28 February 2025
Submission of full papers: 31 July 2025
In this conference, we would like to begin to understand how issues of identity and ethnicity play out in genomics research at an interdisciplinary level. Together with this objective we want to consider the ways in which colonial history has had an impact on how the ‘African genome’ is defined and used. We are particularly interested in the mutual influence of lay and scientific epistemologies on the ways in which we think about ethnicity within Africa and in genomics.
We contend that genomics can no longer afford to ignore the reality that it needs to regard itself not just as a natural science, but as a practice whose reach goes beyond the strict space of scientific practice. We are interested to explore the possibility of bringing genomics as a scientific practice towards asking its own questions differently: at a practical and material level (e.g. concerning sampling strategies), at a political level (e.g. with regard to health equities and questions of scientific sovereignty), but also at an epistemological level (concerning the very classificatory practices and genealogies of knowledge on which contemporary genomics rest). Whereas divergences may at first glance appear insurmountable at an epistemological level, by virtue of the larger, traditional “divide” between natural and social science and humanities scholarship, points of convergence may come forward during exchanges between natural scientists and social scientists/humanities scholars when it comes to the practical and ethical dimensions of engaging with patients over sample donation. In recent years, there has been a move towards projects that seek to overcome this divide, including the collaborative platform The Asthma Files (https://theasthmafiles.org.) What is striking in these initiatives is that they do not follow an additive or perspectivist approach but seek to be transdisciplinary and thus transformative on a more fundamental level.
It is our view that genomics, within the context of Africa, is ripe for such an epistemological rapprochement. This is why we want to bring together scholars across the divide in a conference. We conceive of this conference as a space in which we will take genomics to the level in which it will be in a capacity to integrate methods from both the natural sciences and the social sciences/humanities in its actual practice. Having said this, we are not unmindful of the challenges brought about when working together across the divide, one being the rarity of scientific journals that are available for the publication of scientific results which stem out of such collaborative efforts. We therefore regard this conference as a unique opportunity to create relationships which will lead to the production of such joint outputs
We want to structure our exchanges around the following questions:
How do ‘ethnic’ and ‘racial’ categories come about in genomics research and what role do they play in different settings?
What is the actual role of race and racism in medical practice - both as an epistemic and ethical problem as well as in terms of (Eurocentric) standards and health inequities?
How do material and political factors impact on forms of classification and knowledge practices and what are their shifting applications?
What, then, is the ‘African Genome’? Does it exist? And if it does, what does it look like, why does it exist, who is in and who does it benefit? How is it made and unmade?
In which ways can we bring in differentiated/African epistemological perspectives in the practice of genomics?
Format and Organization
We invite colleagues to address us abstracts of papers which are composed in response to at least one of the five questions listed around the conference’s central theme, each question presenting itself as a panel title.
Full papers are to be submitted by 31 July 2024 and will be circulated among the panelists in advance.
To keep to the transdisciplinary spirit of the conference, we will compose each of the panels by creating the conditions of an exchange between social science/humanities scholars on the one hand, and natural scientists on the other hand. This exchange will take the shape of a moderated conversation, during which scholars will be invited to provide their answers to the question asked, whilst being confronted to the disciplinary traditions of their counterparts during the conversation.
One of the goals of these conversations will be to determine the most relevant topics towards opening the practice and the epistemology of genomics to social science and humanities methods
On the basis of the papers presented at the conference, we would like to bring about the publication of an edited volume on a topic which is scarcely represented in contemporary scholarship
Submission: Please submit your abstract before 31 January 2025 to h.yere@clutterunibas.ch.
The abstract should be of 300−400 words’ length and should be accompanied by a short bio complete with institutional affiliation and contact details.
