[URBANTH-L]CFP: New Orleans and Other Urban Calamities

[Angela Jancius]

Call for Short Papers:  
New Orleans and Other Urban Calamities
Space and Culture Special Issue 

From: Yun-Csang GHIMN <ycghimn at yahoo.ca>

Deadline October 1 2005 

Submissions to: space2 at ualberta.ca

While the flooding of New Orleans is supposedly a natural disaster and perhaps a foretaste of the implications of climate change, it is also a disaster made by people, and institutions.  Social and infrastructual failures, the almost apparent breakdown of an economic market and social solidarity in favour of survivalism intersect with questions of race, class, trauma, the vulnerable, historic cultural identity and memory, risk, technology, media spectacle, governance the state and the attitude to possible, future cities on the site of New Orleans.  'Events overturn theory', was one aphorism of Henri Lefebvre.  What have we learned? How does New Orleans reveal shortcomings in theoretical positions and in accepted social attitudes and practices?  What new questions should be asked?

Space and Culture is seeking immediate, short (1000 word) reactions that advance a specific argument rather than general comment.  We also welcome images and photo-essays.  Papers will be refereed by the editors of and editorial board of the journal.  We aim to publish with the shortest possible delay.

http://www.sagepub.com/journal.aspx?pid=287

Yun-Csang GHIMN
Ph.D. Candidate (A.B.D.) in Culture and Communication
University of Alberta