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Call for Papers for Tropics of the Imagination Conference 2017 As part of the theme- 'Living Cities: Tropical Imaginaries' Smart Cities & the Female Imaginary Convenors Dr Anita Greenhill (University of Manchester), Dr Jessica Symons (University of Manchester), Associate Professor Anita Lundburg (James Cook University), Dr Jenine Beekhuyzen (Honorary Fellow-Deakin University) Please submit a 200 word abstract or proposal by 31st May 2017 to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> decisions on acceptance will be made by 30th June 2017. Short abstract We encourage papers that will situate the smart city into the wider utopian agenda of safe, stable societies and seek ethnographically inspired accounts of places, people and technologies/processes which keep women safe. We are particularly interested in issues around the significance of the tropics and industrialisation in city living. In 2016 the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) listed the top three safest cities, measured on categories encompassing digital security, health security, infrastructure safety, and personal safety, as 1. Tokyo 2. Singapore 3. Osaka (see http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/the-fifteen-safest-cities-in-the-world-a7459261.html). We therefore request submissions that consider, problematise or demonstrate the significance of women's safety in relation to smart cities. A combination of demonstrable examples of safe societies, ideas for how technologies can support women's safety and real-live challenges where women are unsafe can produce a framework on how best to select technologies to address real and tangible needs. Long abstract All hail the utopian project of a smart city where no-one suffers and all needs are serviced by robots. This is the ultimate utopian vision produced through smart city rhetoric. Yet the visionaries are usually white, male men in their mid 50s, the primary leaders of technologically-driven, solution oriented futuring projects. They are also people who are the least likely to be attacked or experience fear for their physical and emotional safety. This panel invites people of all orientations to discuss a smart tropical city that builds on ideological aspirations where no-one suffers but which starts with needs and desires of the city dwellers and then identifies technologies as a supporting infrastructure. We interpret here 'technology' as situated, relational and mobile and therefore subject to difference based on given contexts (Gell 1994; Orlikowski 1992). Understanding this, technology can range from stones and wood to complex digital and infrastructural solutions. This is the smart city, one which has a 'just in time' approach to technology which is needed in a given context and only then. We propose to explore the development of a framework to identify and match technologies to needs, drawing on existing practices from multiple contexts, open to digital and so-called 'smart city' solutions where appropriate and drawing learning from and to tropical cities as a particular emphasis. We focus here on one use-case, an essential component to any city where no-one suffers - women's safety. Our proposition is that a key characteristic of stable, settled society is the freedom of women to move around with low risk of physical or emotional harm. This aspiration is a cornerstone of the utopian project and this panel asks for papers which explore how technologies - in all their breadth - can enable women's security in an urban environment. We seek ethnographically inspired accounts that describe a place, people and technology/process which keep women safe. We are also interested in ideas and theories, which aim to address issues around women's safety and circumstances where women are living in high-risk environments. A combination of demonstrable examples of success, ideas for possible success and real-life challenges should produce interesting and productive debate. Suggested topics could include: - examples of tropical cities or cities whose networks flow through the tropics, i.e. via colonialism or globalisation - a framework to identify and match technologies to needs - discussions on smart cities, the tropics and women's safety based on existing practices from multiple contexts - digital and so-called 'smart city' solutions for women's safety issues and concerns - gender in the tropical and/or industrial city - how technologies - in all their breadth - can enable women's security in an urban environment - methods appropriate for rigorous exploration of the topic - empirical studies related to the topic Abstract submission details: * Paper/presentation title (short and interesting) * Session that best suits your paper (see list of sessions) * Title, name and university affiliation of the presenter * Email address of presenter * Concise 200 word abstract of the Paper/presentation * Abstracts are peer reviewed by session conveners * Oral presentations are 20 mins (including questions) Bibliography Gell, A 1994 The technology of enchantment and the enchantment of technology. In Anthropology, art and aesthetics. J. Coote and A. Shelton, eds. Pp. 40ñ63: Oxford University Press, USA. Orlikowski, Wanda J 1992 The duality of technology: Rethinking the concept of technology in organizations. Organization science 3(3):398-427. Thanks Jess Dr Jessica Symons Research Grant Writer Urban Anthropologist School for Education, Environment and Development Arthur Lewis Building The University of Manchester Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PL [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ************************************************************* * Anthropology-Matters Mailing List * http://www.anthropologymatters.com * * A postgraduate project comprising online journal, * * online discussions, teaching and research resources * * and international contacts directory. * * To join this list or to look at the archived previous * * messages visit: * * http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/Anthropology-Matters.HTML * * If you have ALREADY subscribed: to send a message to all * * those currently subscribed to the list,just send mail to: * * [log in to unmask] * * * * Enjoyed the mailing list? 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