Dear All,

Sorry for cross-posting. The below event may be of some interest to members on this group.


BSA Citizenship Study Group Launch Event: Citizenship in the European Union
  


Monday 16th of February 2015

BSA Meeting Room, London

Keynote Speakers:

Prof Nira Yuval-Davis (UEL), Dr Michał Garapich (University of Roehampton), Dr Aaron Winter (UEL) and Dr Nick Stevenson (University of Nottingham)

Recent immigration/citizenship policy restrictions and the prevalence of anti-immigration sentiments are making an increased re-emergence across Europe and beyond. The 2014 European Election witnessed Euro-sceptic and right-wing nationalist parties making unprecedented gains in France, Denmark, Finland as well as the UK by running campaigns on populist anti-immigration and anti-EU policies. Of course, the growth in support for far-right, anti-European, anti-immigrant parties is nothing new in Europe and offers a chilling echo of the 1930s.

Already, different sides of the political spectrum have started to predict the collapse of the Euro and many are speculating about the lasting impact of the rise of far right parties on the continent and what this means for European citizenship. Some scholars argue that European citizenship can be realised across national borders (see e.g. Friedman 2005), while others would question this by focusing on the enduring power of the nation-state. The latter group of scholars stress that intensified globalisation can result in a defensive return to ‘the local’ in the face of the uncertainties caused by, for instance, the global capitalist pursuit of multi-national companies (see e.g. Geschiere 2009). The modern nation-state project of distinguishing citizens from non-citizens, or those perceived to be national ‘insiders’ from national ‘outsiders’, is witnessed in legal measures such as the clamping down on non-EU/EEA migrants with the introduction of a points-based migration system in the UK (Home Office 2008). However, even EU-migrants from certain nationalities have recently been affected by restrictions in the British context (Fox et al. 2012), suggesting that the European social project is far from being realised. The prevailing political and media rhetoric in a specific country can further contribute to and reinforce a ‘hierarchy of citizenship’ and the division of people into different categories that are bestowed unequal value and treatment (Statham 2003). The effect of this political/media rhetoric might, ultimately, be to legitimise or ‘naturalise’ anti-immigration sentiments and, in the process, ordinary people might be unaware of the fact that by reproducing such rhetoric they run the risk of partaking in everyday forms of racism (Essed 1991).

In an age when every person holding the nationality of an EU/EEA country is automatically a citizen of the EU/EEA – giving every EU/EEA citizen the right to free movement within the union – this event brings together scholars to debate European citizenship and why the far right is gaining support across Europe.

Timetable:

10.15-10.45 Registration and Refreshments

10.45-11.00 Introduction

11.00-12.15 Keynote Speaker 1: Dr Michał Garapich

(Roehampton University) ‘Race’, diversity and political participation

in London: The Polish Experience

12.15-12.30 Refreshment Break

12.30-13.45 Keynote Speaker 2: Prof Nira Yuval-Davis (University of East

London)  ‘Everyday bordering as a technology of management of

diversity and discourses on diversity’

13.45-14.45 Lunch

14.45-16.00 Keynote Speaker 3: Dr Aaron Winter (University of East

London) ‘Immigration, Securitization, Citizenship and the Far Right’

16.00-16.15 Refreshment Break

16.15-17.30 Keynote Speaker 4: Dr Nick Stevenson (University of Nottingham)

‘Post-Citizenship, the New Left and the Democratic Commons’

17.30-17.40 Closing Remarks

This event costs £28 for BSA student members, £38 for BSA-members and £45 for non-BSA members.

Refreshments and lunch are included.

Early booking is recommended, as we anticipate this to be a popular event.

The event will take place at the BSA Meeting Room in Imperial Wharf London.

To register for the event, please click here to access the BSA event page.

For academic queries, please contact Dr Kristoffer Halvorsrud: [log in to unmask]

For further info contact: [log in to unmask]  or (0191) 383 0839