The Construction of 'Us' and 'Them': Discourses on Populism and Nationalism

The "us" and "them" conference gathered participants from around dozen countries within Europe and beyond, from different parts of Finland and from many different disciplines. Many departments of the University of Helsinki were represented in the conference. The estimate of the number of participants in the whole conference is 150, while almost 30 papers were delivered. The sessions were chaired by senior academics working in Helsinki.

The evening session of Ernesto Laclau and his respondent Sakari Hänninen was well attended. Interesting and wide-ranging points on community, ethnicity, nationalism and populism were brought up in the round table discussion with Laclau, Teivo Teivainen, Pasi Saukkonen and Marie-Louise Karttunen.

The response from the conference has been overwhelmingly positive. It seems it really did work as the international and interdisciplinary meeting point, where people could discover new approaches, topics and people to work with. The constellation of the papers, the comments and discussions were perceived as inspiring.

References to "the next conference" is often made in the comments. Many of those who participated and those who missed the conference ask for a collection of conference papers. The question of future conferences remains open. But the conference papers are being collected for future publication.

As an outsider (trained and working abroad) I learned a lot about the University of Helsinki and the Finnish Academia in this process. The conference also demonstrated how it is possible to create high-quality international conferences on a low budget and low maintenance. This requires, however, some basic things:

The paper-givers were patient and willing to finance their trip to Helsinki as we offered no conference service or funding. The round-table participants, session chairs and others made it there even within a short notice. The key-note was patient, eager to be there and always friendly. I had help on the conference days from many colleagues. Thank you to all of you!

The Academy of Finland provided the project funding that included the basis budget for the conference costs. The conference-feel came also from the two publishing houses, Verso and Gaudeamus, who presented their latest publications. The crucial co-operation of the three departments and institutes by advertising the conference, sharing the costs of the coffees and the reception were crucial for the success and atmosphere. The University of Helsinki waived the fees for the rooms, which reduced the financial load considerably. The Department of Political Science offered mental and material support for the conference project, keeping the process going on. Many thanks!

I hope some traces of this whole process remain for the future, in the work of the participants and beyond.

Emilia Palonen, Visiting Fellow, Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, emilia.palonen[at]helsinki.fi