The 2012 RAAS - Fulbright Conference

Remapping Urban Spaces – American Challenges

Ovidius University, Constanta, Romania

October 4-6, 2012 

The topic of the conference aims at reflecting the current debates on the contemporary city in the context of the developments that take place within urban studies in the United States at a time when the economic, the social, the political and the cultural tend to intersect and thrive in the metropolis rather than anywhere else. Therefore this conference represents an invitation to (re)investigate and (re)analyze issues connected to the city as well as broader acceptations of urban spaces and identities from an interdisciplinary perspective (literary studies, geography, sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, cultural studies, political science, film studies, institutions and other associated fields).

We invite proposals for papers and panel discussions on the following topics:

-         Redefining urban space: theoretical approaches;

-         The city and/in historical perspective;

-         Designing and imagining urban space;

-         Hyperreal/imaginary/utopian/dystopian/apocalyptic cities;

-         Urban identities and life in the city;

-         Divisions of urban space;

-         Voices of the city;

-         Cities as sites of memory;

-         Violence in the city;

-         Globalization and the city;

-         Gendering the city;

-         The city in literature, film, popular culture, media.

We are pleased to announce that

Dr. Edward Soja, Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning, UCLA

has confirmed our invitation to participate in the conference as a key-note speaker.

Proposals for 20-minute papers should be submitted by March 15, 2012 in the form of an abstract of 150-200 words. As each paper will be followed by 10-minute discussions, participants are kindly asked to limit the presentation to their time-slot. Those interested in proposing a panel discussion should submit the title and the names of at least three other academics who will participate in the talk.

If you are interested in participating, please fill in the registration form and return it to Ludmila Martanovschi, RAAS Secretary, Ileana Jitaru, RAAS Treasurer, and Nicoleta Stanca at the following e-mail address: raas.conference@yahoo.com

Conference fee:     RAAS members: 100 RON;

Non-RAAS members: 75 EURO  / 100 USD