Theorizing Iberian Borders: Reimagining Natural, Political, and Social Frontiers

Sponsoring Organization(s)

Center for Inter-American and Border Studies, Univ. of Texas-El Paso

Organizer Name

Matthew V. Desing

Organizer Affiliation

Univ. of Texas-El Paso

Presider Name

Matthew V. Desing

Paper Title 1

"El pueblo . . . con so vezino": Feeling Right at Home in Medieval Iberia

Presenter 1 Name

Robin M. Bower

Presenter 1 Affiliation

Pennsylvania State Univ.-Beaver

Paper Title 2

The Paradoxical Borders of Exclusion and Understanding between Muslims and Christians in the Alfonsine Works

Presenter 2 Name

Marcelo E. Fuentes

Presenter 2 Affiliation

Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Paper Title 3

"A Checker Pattern Woven of Intellect": Misconceptions of the Maqāmā Genre in Iberian Criticism

Presenter 3 Name

Nasser Meerkhan

Presenter 3 Affiliation

Univ. of Virginia

Paper Title 4

Stone Boundaries: The Symbolism of Gems in El libro de buen amor

Presenter 4 Name

Jorge Santander Serrano

Presenter 4 Affiliation

Indiana Univ.-Bloomington

Start Date

12-5-2016 7:30 PM

Session Location

Fetzer 1010

Description

This session proposes both to examine borders within a medieval Iberian context and to explore the ways that we may conceptualize them using approaches developed out of the growing field of Border Studies. The deffinition of borders will be broad and could include not only physical and socio-political borders, but also borders of conceptual categories and identities. The session sponsored by the Center for Inter-American and Border Studies at the 2015 Congress was well-received and generated much discussion. One of the stated needs within the type of work presented at the 2015 Congress was for the adaptation of conceptual frameworks to engage with these issues in a medieval context. It is hoped that the proposed session will be a fertile ground for the discussion of such developments.

Matthew V. Desing