Kiel 2019: geographischer Dialog für die Zukunft?

Abstract

In conditions of unavoidably increasing mutual ignorance among human geographers about each others' areas of expertise, the question of how to pursue dialogue in a mutually respectful way that promotes insight and learning is ever more pressing. The dialogue between Carolin Schurr and Peter Weichhart in Kiel in 2019 offers instructive examples of how this issue can be addressed. The first, shorter part of the contribution is devoted to the substantive question of the unity of geographic inquiry, which was the subject matter of the dialogue. The bulk of the discussion, however, is devoted to analysing the dynamics of the dialogue itself, with a special focus on the sometimes very subtle and unintended ways in which positionalities leave their mark.