CALL FOR PAPERS
FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS & HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
A paper session of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the Association
of American Geographers (AAG), Chicago Illinois, 7-11 March
2006
Justin Beaumont, Urban and Regional Studies Institute (URSI),
University of Groningen, THE NETHERLANDS, Email
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The proposed session explores the role of faith-based organizations
(FBOs) in urban politics from a human geographical perspective.
Recognizing that Chicago was once the home for various Alinsky-
inspired mobilizations involving faith actors, the session critically
investigates the growing interest in the more recent (re-)politicization of
FBOs – such as churches, para-religious organizations of various
types and their affiliated groups – in tackling persistent social problems
in cities.
At least three strands provide the framework for the session. First,
certain work within the political sciences draws attention to increased
penetration of FBOs in secular political issues since the 1980s (Haynes
1998; McGuire 2001; Bruce 2003). This “deprivatization” of religion
captures part of the explanation for the recent claim among certain
politicians, activists and academics that FBOs are better placed to
substantially reduce urban poverty and strive for social justice than
government and the welfare state more generally. Far less is known
within human geography, however, on the precise nature, the complex
and variable internal and external organizational geographies of these
developments and the political implications for poverty reduction and
the achievement of social justice. Second, research on the
geographies of justice movements (Nicholls and Beaumont 2004;
Beaumont and Nicholls 2005) reveals that FBOs sometimes enter the
fray as active partners in progressive multi-organizational antipoverty
and social justice coalitions. This body of work stands to gain from
deeper analytical insights into the factors that determine as well as limit
FBO involvement in social justice coalitions and to discern their
contribution to progressive social change. Third and more generally,
the session aims to confront contemporary political economy
perspectives in human geography, with humanistic strands within the
discipline, in the context of a highly specific and politically contentious
organizational and policy domain.
The proposed session seeks theoretical enrichment and empirical
advance through paper presentations and discussion in the context of
one or more of the following themes:
·Geographies of FBO politicization;
·Ideological and political ambiguity of FBO activity;
·Role of FBOs in addressing urban social problems;
·FBOs and welfare reform;
·Urban policy and FBOs;
·Theoretical innovation at political economy/ humanistic
interface in geography.
Please express your interest in participating along with an outline of the
paper you have in mind at the first opportunity. Final abstracts (250
words max.) and your PINs should be sent to me by email by 30
September 2005. You should consult the AAG website (www.aag.org)
for online registration and abstract submission instructions.
Justin Beaumont
September 2005
Justin Beaumont
Urban and Regional Studies Institute (URSI)
Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen
P.O. Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen
THE NETHERLANDS
Direct: 00 31 (0)50 363 6910
Secr: -3895/ -3896/ -3897, Fax: -3901
Email: [log in to unmask]
Web: www.rug.nl/frw/
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