[URBANTH-L] CFP: 'Super-diversity' in European Cities and its implications for anthropological research

[Angela Jancius]

[Forwarded from H-SAE, European Assoc. of Social Anthropology CFP]


'Super-diversity' in European cities and its
implications for anthropological research

Workshop Call for Papers
European Association of Social Anthropologists
'Europe  and the World'
Bristol, September 18th - 21th 2006

Convenors: Susanne Wessendorf (University of Oxford),
Kristine Krause
(University of Oxford/ Humboldt Universität Berlin)
Keynote: Steven Vertovec (University of Oxford)

Anthropological studies on migrants in urban contexts
have been characterised by a tension between two
methodological strands: one approach has focused on
migrant communities categorised on the grounds of
region of origin, ethnicity and religion, while the
other approach has focused on neighbourhoods, places
and urban environments and the interaction between
groups and individuals. The first approach is informed
by a more 'traditional' anthropological focus on
ethnic groups, and allows an in-depth ethnographic
analysis of cultural and social practices of
individuals with shared historical and cultural
backgrounds. It has been prevalent in earlier studies
of migration and the recent studies on
transnationalism, but criticised for its tendency to
essentialise groups and ignore overlapping networks.
The second approach is influenced by longstanding
interest in urban pluralism and sheds light on
cross-cutting ties and negotiations of belonging in
specific localities. However, it makes an in-depth
analysis of migrants' cultural and historical
backgrounds difficult. The proposed workshop aims to
tackle the methodological, analytical and conceptual
challenges that come with the possible tension between
the two approaches. It invites papers based on
research in 'super-diverse' urban contexts in Europe
with people of non-migrant background, new and long
established migrants, people of different regions of
origin, ethnicity, religion, age, class, education and
legal status. Of particular interest are papers which
focus on localities of every-day encounter and social
spaces, some of which are strongly shaped by
translocal activities. Such spaces are, for example,
religious groups, political, ethnic, and professional
associations, ethnic businesses, community centres and
youth clubs. Participants are invited to reflect on
the challenges of research in super-diverse urban
contexts in order to understand everyday diversity in
European cities.

Please send your abstracts (max. 300 words) for papers
(max. 20 min.) by the end of April to

susanne.wessendorf at anthro.ox.ac.uk ;
kristine.krause at anthro.ox.ac.uk

For further information on  the conference see:
http://www.nomadit.co.uk/easa/easa06/index.htm