[URBANTH-L]CFP: European City Seminars
Angela Jancius
jancius3022 at comcast.net
Sun Dec 14 09:51:41 EST 2008
Call for participants: European city seminars
1) Bruxelles and Charleroi (Belgium), 13 - 16 March 2009.
2) Chemnitz, Chomutov and the Czech-German borderland, 10 - 20 July 2009.
It has been argued that there is something distinctive about a European City
when compared to, for instance, an American city. The ´European City´ as a
sociological concept relies on the idea that cities in Europe have
demonstrated their power and willingness to make interventions for the
prevention of social conflict and the good of it inhabitants. Often, these
interventions took place against the strict financial logic or current
global trends. In the 19th century, sewage systems and street lighting were
first installed into the poor neighbourhoods and local councils choose to
house people who weren't able to afford buying or renting property. The rise
of the national (welfare) state to its strongest position somewhat reduced
the power of cities, as many of the social institutions were transferred to
the state. However, today, with pan-continental institutions and global
economic forces coming to the fore, national governments have been weakened
to a certain extent. The partial withdrawal of the welfare state again
leaves local decision makers in an interesting position. What can and what
will they do? How large is the space for independent policies? Are they
forced to restructure the European City according to market principles, or
will it become a corrective counter-force, which seeks to maintain social
cohesion in places where the social fabric has been destroyed by economic
changes?
With these statements in mind, the websites European City and Plotki and the
Centre Bruxellois d'action interculturelle invite researchers, journalists
and artists to participate in a unique project that will deal with social
cohesion in European cities affected by de-industrialization.
Selected participants will participate at the following research seminars:
1) A three day-long research seminar in Bruxelles and Charleroi (Belgium),
13 - 16 March 2009.
2) A ten day-long 'travelling' research seminar in the 'ex-industrial' areas
of the Czech Republic and Germany. Focusing mostly but not exclusively on
the two old-industrial cities of Chomutov and Chemnitz, researches will
present and discuss their own papers and participate in field research in
Chemnitz, Chomutov and the Czech-German borderland, 10 - 12 July 2009.
The programme is open for everyone living in a EU member state with good
knowledge of English. Researchers (senior researchers, PHD and MA students
in the widest range of social science including but not limited to
sociology, geography, anthropology, history, cultural studies), journalists
and artists (photographers and film-makers) are especially encouraged to
apply.
Please express your interest by sending us your professional CV and a short
motivation letter by email to europeancity at mkc.cz.Tato adresa je chránena
proti spamování, pro její zobrazení potrebujete mít Java scripty povoleny
The deadline is 31 January 2009. Thanks to support by the European Union,
funding for travel and accommodation is available. Chosen participants will
be informed by the 15 February 2009.
Ondrej Daniel, project coordinator,
europeancity at mkc.czTato adresa je chránena proti spamování, pro její
zobrazení potrebujete mít Java scripty povoleny
www.europeancity.cz
The Project is organised by the Multicultural centre Prague, the Centre
Bruxellois d'action interculturelle and Rejs e.V..
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