Call for Papers - Cities against Nationalism?

By Conservation at Kent
Demonstration against nationalism in city streets

Kent Interdisciplinary Centre for Spatial Studies (KISS) International Symposium, University of Kent (18th June, 2019)

The Cities against Nationalism? is a one-day international symposium hosted by Kent Interdisciplinary Centre for Spatial Studies (KISS), in collaboration with UCL Urban Lab, on Tuesday, 18th June at the University of Kent.

The symposium aims at investigating the relatively under-theorised research field of urban geopolitics and nationalism. Specifically, we will focus on experiences where cities and regions oppose nationalism – with particular reference to the relations between local urban conditions of minorities and immigrants in times of increased political uncertainty. This symposium will bring together scholars in the fields of human geography, political geography and urban studies.

We invite papers that discuss and address (although are not limited to) the following broad topics:

  1. To determine to what extent the current political transformations in cities worldwide offer us a platform to re-think urban citizenship and negotiation of difference.
  2. To explore how urban/regional identity could unify citizens in opposition to a national identity.
  3. To investigate the extent to which new transformations of urban citizenship vary between and within regional and local contexts.

We welcome 250 word abstracts as proposals: please contact Dr Jonathan Rock Rokem by 20th April 2019 to indicate your interest in participating in the symposium*. Please include your affiliation, a proposed title and a 250-word abstract.

*We have a few UK travel bursaries for PhD students and early career academics: please indicate your interest in receiving this in your application.

Confirmed Keynote speakers:

  • Professor Michael Gentile, Department of Sociology and Human Geography, The University of Oslo.
  • Professor Oren Yiftachel, Ben Gurion University, Israel/UCL Geography and DPU.

Public evening lecture 18th June: Professor Michael Gentile: Geopolitical Fault-Line Cities in The World of Divided Cities. Further information and registration here.

Symposium Organising committee:

  • Dr Jonathan Rock Rokem, Lecturer in Human Geography, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent.
  • Dr Sara Fregonese, Lecturer in Political Geography, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham.
  • Professor Camillo Boano, Professor of Urban Design and Critical Theory. Bartlett Development Planning Unit, University College London.
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