About


critical: that which questions the operative conditions of those practices governing present ways of living

genealogies: histories of contingent processes of emergence and descent

collaboratory: collaboration + laboratory: a venue for experimental research on shared problems across entrenched divides



Purpose and Plan

The Critical Genealogies Collaboratory is a cross-disciplinary research cluster devoted to investigating and deploying genealogical criticism as practiced by Michel Foucault and others. Our primary location is at the University of Oregon.

We aim for a collaborative research environment that facilitates new critical inquiries influenced by the methods, concepts, and analytics of a broad suite of genealogical philosophers, anthropologists, and historians including Michel Foucault, Friedrich Nietzsche, Bernard Williams, Ian Hacking, Paul Rabinow, Arnold Davidson, Ladelle McWhorter, and others. We deploy genealogy critically 'across' the disciplines in at least two senses: as an interdisciplinary project drawing on work from across the spectrum and as a counterdisciplinary critique performatively questioning the way in which such work often carves itself up into divisive disciplinary contexts with entrenched ideas of what counts as valid objects and themes for inquiry.


Participants
The group is always open to additional participants: graduate students, postdocs, and faculty across the disciplines are all welcome. We are particularly eager to continue to develop a vibrant cross-disciplinary dialogue.


Present, recent past, and more distant past participants in the Critical Genealogies Collaboratory at the University of Oregon include: Colin Koopman, Department of Philosophy; Nicolae Morar, Department of Philosophy; Paul Showler, Philosophy; Valerie Simon, Philosophy; Mary McLevey, Philosophy; Zeinab Nobowati, Philosophy; Brooke Burns, Philosophy; Chris Shambaugh, Philosophy; Patrick Jones, Media Studies; Sarah Hamid, Media Studies; ...

...  and in the more recent past Rebekah Sinclair, Philosophy (now at Oregon State); Bonnie Sheehey, Philosophy (now at Montana State); Claire Pickard, Philosophy; Laura Smithers, Education (now at Old Dominion); ...

... and in the more distant past April Anson, English; Tariq Rahman, Anthro/IS (now at UC Irvine); Emily Mathis, Education; Dimitra Cupo, Sociology; Russel Duvernoy, Philosophy (now at King's U College, Canada); Thomas Nail, Dept. of Philosophy, (now at Denver U); Rocio Zambrana, Philosophy (now at Emory); Anita Chari, Political Science; Polina Kroik, Comp Lit (UC Irvine); Ira Allen, Rhetoric (EGS & Indiana U; then at AU Beruit, now at Northern Arizona U); Nick Dorzweiler (Northwestern, Poli Sci, now at Wheaton College); Lauren Eichler, Philosophy; Chris Elford, East Asian Languages and Literatures (now at UC Berkeley); Larry Busk, Philosophy; Gregory Liggett, Political Science; Fulden Ibrahimhakkioglu, Philosophy; Ed Madison, Journalism and Communications; Vernon Carter, Philosophy; Katherine Logan, Philosophy; George Fourlas, Philosophy (now at Hampshire); Elena Cuffari, Philosophy (now at Franklin & Marshall).


Past participants in the 'Foucault Across the Disciplines' at the University of California, Santa Cruz (Jan. 2007 - Mar. 2009): Colin Koopman, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Philosophy, & Research Associate, Center for Cultural Studies, UCSC (now at UO); Daniel Narey, Ph.D. Student, Sociology, UCSC; Tomas Matza, Ph.D. Candiate, Modern Thought and Literature, Stanford University (then at Duke, now at Pitt); Jake Metcalf, Ph.D. Candidate, Philosophy, UCSC (now at Data & Society); Ben Roome, Ph.D. Candidate, Philosophy, UCSC; Sara Orning, Ph.D. Student, Literature, UCSC; Noriko Aso, Assistant Professor, History, UCSC; Ronnie Lipschutz, Professor, Politics, UCSC; David Hoy, Professor, Philosophy, UCSC; Brian Malone, Ph.D. Student, Literature, UCSC; Amanda Shuman, Ph.D. Student, History, UCSC.



Affiliated Groups
We are affiliated with the Critical Genealogies Workshop and we take inspiration from ARC.



Additional Information

Please send an email to Colin Koopman for additional information.