Hello, 

Just advertising the Association of American Geographers 2013 session that Adonia, Sarah , Ana and myself will be running in April. It's not just about cycling, but 3 of the organisers are cycling PhD students on this list and we're visiting a cycling event for a post-conference field-trip. So do feel free to apply, 

Pete

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Apologies for Cross Posting

AAG 2013 Call For Papers:
 
Session Title: Change and Continuity; the Place of Community in Transition
Session Organisers: Anastasia Harrison and Peter Wood (The Open University) & Adonia Lugo and Sarah McCullough (University of California)

Many practices once emblematic of radicalism, independence or oppositional communities are becoming increasingly popular and fundamental to the societies they were initially defined against. Including (but by no means limited to) cycling, appropriate technology, urban food growing, eco-villages, independent music and art, loft-living and open source computing, certain late 20th century niche practices have expanded to impact society at large. This session seeks to investigate these processes, spaces and places of transition. Its particular interest is in the changes which take place to practices and practitioners as they become more popular or widespread. Whether promoted by activists, campaigners, business or happenstance, what makes a triumph? What about changes seen as irrelevancies, loss of control, or even pyrrhic victory? How does “success” affect the “original” systems, identities or communities? How do different elements of practice and community get attenuated, lost, magnified or refuted in the process?

We recognize that these questions are often answered from a variety of methodological and theoretical approaches. These include, but are not limited to: the new mobilities paradigm, transition theory, feminist science and technology studies, subcultural studies, cultural capital, habit, mobile methods, ethnography and community-based participatory research. Similarly, the session does not a priori assume (or deny) that radical margins can exclusively or automatically lay claim to innovative, just, critical, or progressive practice. We simply wonder what draws people into working together for change, and how desirable transition might be supported.

In keeping with the theme of the session, the organisers are organising a post-conference field-trip (13 or 14 April, TBC) to the Los Angeles Eco-Village (www.laecovillage.org), and the proposed CicLAvia (www.ciclavia.org). This is a local example of a radical (eco-)community maintaining its own internal coherence whilst fostering connections with a broader base of sustainable urban campaigners and the city at large. All are welcome to inquire about attending these field-trips, regardless of interest in participation in the panel.

The organisers welcome abstracts of no more than 250 words by September 24th, 2012. Please include keywords and a brief author biography (or link to online biography). Successful submissions will be contacted by the 1st October 2012 and will be expected to register and submit their abstracts online at the AAG website before October 24th 2012. Please note a range of registration fees will apply and must be paid before this date. Please send session inquiries and abstracts to Peter Wood ([log in to unmask]), and field-trip inquiries to Adonia Lugo ([log in to unmask]). 

We hope you can join us and we are looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Anastasia Harrison, Geography, The Open University
Adonia Lugo, Anthropology, University of California, Irvine
Sarah McCullough, Institute for Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis
Peter Wood, Geography, The Open University

Abstract guidelines: http://www.aag.org/cs/annualmeeting/call_for_papers/abstract_guidelines
Registration information: http://www.aag.org/annualmeeting/register