** Apologies for cross-postings **
FINAL CALL: The Diverse Suburb: History, Politics, and Prospects
Hofstra University (Hempstead, New York)
October 22-24, 2009
Call for Papers
Abstracts due: February 15, 2009
In recent years, conventional accounts of suburban homogeneity have
been called into
question. Scholars, journalists, community organizers, and advocates
have noted the
growing racial, ethnic, and class diversity of many suburbs, and have
speculated about what
these shifts mean for our understanding of suburban life. At the same
time, scholars of the
‘new suburban history’ have brought to light the buried histories
of poor white suburbs, of
suburbs of color, and of the women whose varied roles within suburban
communities defied
neat categorizations based on place. Organizations and individuals who
fight for social and
economic justice, meanwhile, have continued to encounter suburban
resistance to equity and
inclusion.
The National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra invites academics,
activists, and
policymakers to an international and interdisciplinary conference that
will consider the
challenging and emergent phenomenon of suburban diversity. What are the
implications of
this growing diversity? To what extent is this apparent growth simply a
rediscovery of
differences long written out of suburban history? How is suburban
diversity linked to
processes, such as globalization, that operate above and cut across the
local scale?
Do the changing suburbs present new opportunities for creating a more
just and equitable
society?
We welcome proposals for individual papers, organized sessions, and
roundtables that
address these questions from a variety of approaches. Topics might
include, but are not
limited to:
● Racial and ethnic suburban enclaves, past and present
● International migration to the suburbs
● White supremacy, structural/institutional racism, and white
privilege in the suburbs
● Changing patterns of suburban class segregation
● Environmental justice movements in the suburbs
● Women’s leadership in suburban social movements
● New forms of suburban social and political organization
● Affordable housing and suburban gentrification
● Inequality and suburban schools
● Control of public space and a 'right to the suburb'
● Age and inclusion in the suburbs
● Sexuality, queer identity, and suburban politics
● Representations of diverse suburbs in the visual and performing
arts
● International/comparative analyses of suburban diversity
● New suburban populations and suburban religious life
Confirmed Speakers include:
Nancy Denton, State University of New York, Albany
Becky Nicolaides, University of California - Los Angeles
Manuel Pastor, University of Southern California
john a. powell, Ohio State University
Andrew Wiese, San Diego State University
To submit an abstract, please visit our website at
http://www.hofstra.edu/diversesuburb.
Individual paper abstracts should be limited to 200 words and submitted
through the
conference website before February 15, 2009. Proposals for organized
paper sessions, panels,
and roundtables should be sent to Christopher Niedt
([log in to unmask]) as
soon as possible; please include the names and contact information for
all confirmed and
potential participants.
*****
Christopher Niedt
Academic Director, National Center for Suburban Studies
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology
205 Davison Hall
Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY 11549
Tel (m): 443-306-5700
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