Short Abstract:

This workshop aims to discuss ethnographic papers focussing on different types of mobilities of people, ideas, and artefacts that (re-)shape ideas of un/commoning in Oceania along the lines of personal, economical, religious, environmental, and political influences and (trans-)national aspirations.

Long Abstract:

Oceania is marked by multiple mobilities of people, ideas, and artefacts that move back and forth over (trans-)national spaces, and places. While doing so they interdependently influence each other as well as their surrounding environments. In Oceania, people, ideas, and artefacts were strongly considered a common property of families, communities, or the state, for centuries. This notion however has been challenged by contemporary economical, religious, environmental, and political influences as well as individual aspirations that (re-)shape ideas of property and belonging, as well as who should benefit from and identify with them. Notions of individualistic versus community-based approaches arise at the same time as international capitalistic interests shape the way how states try to manage human and non-human resources. Societies and actors in Oceania therefore face questions on how un/commoning should be done for the ‘better’ of their own people, now and in the future: For instance, while encountering work migration schemes, climate change, extractions of minerals, or the repatriation of artifacts.

This workshop invites ethnographically-rich papers to focus on different types of mobilities of people, ideas, and artefacts that challenge or (re-)shape ideas of un/commoning in Oceania along the lines of personal, economical, religious, environmental, and political influences and (trans-)national aspirations.

Propose contribution