International Conference on Global Divided Cities

April 28 and 29, 2017

Chapman University, Orange CA

The MA in International Studies (MAIS) Program at Chapman University calls for abstracts for a conference on Global Divided Cities. This international conference seeks to re-imagine global cities, including Los Angeles, that have been divided by colonial histories, race/ethnicity, class, gender, and religion. It explores hidden stories and voices of marginalized groups within the globalized world.

Rationale: Most global cities have their origins in imperial, colonial or postcolonial histories. They are the centers of concentration of capital, knowledge and finance and also the visible representation of a hierarchically organized, global economic and political power.  This international conference looks at the global cities as divided cities, consisting of fragmented urban communities with intersecting class, religious, racial/ethnic, gender, and class conflicts. The conference aims to explore how these communities are struggling to gain more power, visibility and voice. Panels may include, but are not limited to the following themes:

(1) Origins of urban inequalities by examining the imperial, colonial and postcolonial histories of the cities;

(2) Recognition of contested imperial, colonial, postcolonial and indigenous hidden community stories in global cities;

(3) Rethinking the linkages of global cities to other parts of the world.  This will be an exploration of the mobility of labor and capital to global cities and the subsequent crisis of citizenship and immigration in global cities;

(4) Articulation of new voices of resistance of marginalized urban residents of divided global cities;

(5) Re-imagining how global cities can bridge the social divide through politics of inclusion and participation; and

(6) Examining alternative public policy initiatives addressing demands for change of disfranchised and marginalized social groups in global cities.

The deadline for submission of abstracts for the conference is February 24, 2017. The abstracts should be no more than 150 words.