CFP: Session "The Marketing of Cities," Social Science History
Association, 18-21 November 2004, Chicago
Within the general conference topic, "Markets as Sites of
Interdisciplinary History," this session seeks to investigate and critique
the relationships between urban space, commodification, and identity,
departing from the idea of a "competition" among global cities for
transnational capital, private investment, and to house corporate
headquarters - a proposition developed by theorists like Saskia Sassen,
among others. Not only global cities, but smaller places as well resort to
history and identity in order to market themselves as tourist
destinations, or centers of culture, technology, or services. Strategies
to make cities attractive range from urban beautification to advertising
techniques and configure a veritable "market" of cities. In turn these
processes reflect in real estate and land value within cities, influencing
intra-urban markets and spurring urban renewal, gentrification, and social
conflict.
This panel is open to all geographical regions and time periods, as well
as diverse disciplinary backgrounds. Papers might present critical case
studies or focus on theoretical discussions. Themes might include, but are
not limited to:
- The resort to local identity, culture, community or history as
urban selling points
- The "disneyfication" of urban spaces and social practices
- Cities and regions striving to become poles of tourism,
technology, culture or finance
- Urban candidacies to house Olympic Games, the World Cup,
international fairs, etc.
- The relationship between the influx of money/resources and local
populations
- Gentrification and social exclusion
- The "Bilbao effect"
- The privatization of urban space
- The critical work of Saskia Sassen, David Harvey, Sharon Zukin,
Michael Sorkin, Mike Davis, Fredric Jameson, among others
- Other forms of competition among cities (e.g. religious,
political, or military competition)
- Urban space as stage-setting
250-word abstracts should be sent to Daniela Sandler at
sand@mail.rochester.edu by February 15th, 2004.
Graduate students may apply for conference travel grants (see the
Social Science History Association web site, http://www.ssha.org ).
__________________________________________________________________________
Daniela Sandler
Graduate Program in Visual and Cultural Studies
Department of Art and Art History
University of Rochester
email: sand@mail.rochester.edu
===============================================
From the Literary Calls for Papers Mailing List
CFP@english.upenn.edu
Full Information at
http://www.english.upenn.edu/CFP/
or write Erika Lin: elin@english.upenn.edu
===============================================
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Feb 29 2004 - 05:39:02 EST