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*Call for Papers*: Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual 
Meeting, April 21-25, 2015, Chicago

*Session title: Complex Place Attachments - Migration and Cities*

*Session organizers:* Anna-Lisa Müller (University of Bremen, Germany), 
Jörg Plöger (ILS - Research Institute for Regional and Urban 
Development, Germany)

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Globalization and localization affect the social, spatial, and 
geographic conditions of contemporary societies. This general statement 
holds true for several realms of society, be it the job market on the 
macro-level or family structures on a micro-level. It has led 
researchers to characterize today's society as increasingly "glocalized" 
(Robertson, Bauman). The proposed session focusses on a specific field 
in which the intersection of globalization and localization has 
fundamental consequences: migration.

As mobility between locales is facilitated by the process of 
globalization, the variety of mobility phenomena is increasing. Not only 
has migration -- that is mobility between different geographic places -- 
in general become more common for certain groups of people. The forms of 
migration have also become increasingly diverse: temporary migration, 
back-and-forth-migration between places and continuous transmigration 
add to 'classical' migration types like diaspora and labor migration.

This session intends to shed light on the increasingly complex spatial 
affiliations and place attachments that can be observed on different 
scales. The aim is to further investigate the relationship between 
highly mobile lifestyles, feelings of belonging and attachment to places 
(and objects), particularly in urban areas.

These socio-spatial phenomena are often revealed most clearly at the 
"extremes" of societies, that is, in social groups which constitute 
either the upper or the lower end of a society's structure. The session 
thus focuses on (a) highly-skilled transnational migrants and (b) 
low-skilled transnational "vagabonds" (Bauman). In both cases, the basic 
assumption is that these migrants are multi-attached both in practice 
and mentally, and that an analysis of their practices must consider all 
relevant locales.

Departing from these ideas, we particularly address the following questions:

·Does (local) space matter during increasingly fluid, mobile and 
detached times?

·Which factors shape the local incorporation process of these groups?

·In how far are the practices of highly-mobile persons transforming places?

·Which are the characteristics of the relevant places for this group?

·Do these transformations contribute to the emergence of "new urban spaces"?

·Can we identify the emergence of new global or rather glocal urban 
lifestyles?

·How can we conceptualize practices/processes of local attachment, 
belonging or incorporation on more than one spatial level?

We invite papers that address one or more of the above mentioned 
questions. Both theoretical and empirical studies are welcome.

Please send a proposal of max. 500 words to the session's organizers 
([log in to unmask] 
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>and 
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>) 
until *October 19**^th **, 2014*.

For detailed information on the AAG Annual meeting, please visit 
http://www.aag.org/cs/annualmeeting.

-- 
Dr. Anna-Lisa Müller
Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin | Assistant Professor
Büro/office: GW2-B1080

AG Stadtgeographie | Urban Geography
Institut für Geographie | Department of Geography
Universität Bremen | University of Bremen
Postfach 330 440 | P.O. Box 330 440
D-28334 Bremen
Germany

Tel.: +49 (421) 218 67141
www.geographie.uni-bremen.de