"The accident of where one is born is just that, an accident; any human being might have been born in any nation"
Martha Nussbaum, 'Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism' in For Love of Country (Beacon Press, 2002)

Tuesday 17 February 2009

The Politics of Space and Place Conference

CAPPE Centre for Applied Philosophy, Politics and Ethics
University of Brighton, UK
4th International Interdisciplinary Conference
The Politics of Space and Place
Wednesday 16th - Friday 18th September 2009
Keynote speaker: Ilan Pappe, University of Exeter, UK

Having now accepted about 60 proposals in response to our first call for papers we would particularly welcome contributions in the following areas, while nevertheless not excluding others:
* political and philosophical aspects of space and place
* sexual space and place
* space, place and globalisation
* current affairs

Final Call for Papers

In a world where inequality and poverty are growing remorselessly, where you are, and where you happen to have been born, continue to determine, how, and in indeed whether, you live. From the urbanization of the human species and the burgeoning of slums to the rise of the modern gated community; from 'Fortress Europe' and the Israeli 'security wall' to land reform in South Africa; questions of space and place are central to some of today's most bitterly contested political issues. What might an analysis of politics which focuses on the operation of power through space and place, and on the spatial structuring of inequality, tell us about the world we make for ourselves and others? How is power structured and brought to bear on people through space and place? How does power operate locally, nationally and globally and in both its soft and hard forms? How does it operate through urban planning, architecture, housing policy, immigration policy and national borders? How does it work to discipline and exclude some, while insulating others from the excesses of inequality and degradation? How and in whose interests do these divisions function as they pit against each other not only people who live in different parts of the world but also those who live just a few metres apart? What might an analysis of politics through questions of space and place indicate about how power, injustice and inequality could be better understood and more effectively contested?

Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be emailed to Nicola Clewer AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS NUMBERS ARE LIMITED - and by 30 April 2009 at the very latest: nicolaclewer.hughes@ukonline.co.uk Decisions will be communicated by 8 May. The conference fee is £210. This includes refreshments, lunch on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and a buffet dinner on Thursday in a local pub. There remain a few places for graduate students and for people who have no institutional affiliation at the reduced price of £105. Please indicate if you wish to be considered for one of these when sending your abstract; or contact Nicola Clewer: nicolaclewer.hughes@ukonline.co.uk as soon as possible. Please note: the conference fee does not include accommodation. Reasonably priced en-suite accommodation in student halls of residence will be available on a first come, first served basis for a minimum of three nights. (Further information regarding university accommodation will be provided at the registration stage.) Otherwise delegates are welcome to make their own arrangements. Please note: unfortunately we are unable to offer travel grants. For updates and further information about the centre please visit the CAPPE website: www.brighton.ac.uk/CAPPE

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