The Repoliticization of Urban Spaces in 80s and 90s Europe

deadline for submissions: 
September 30, 2020
full name / name of organization: 
Dario Marcucci Luca Zamparini

In the late 70s, the protraction of the Cold War’s tensions and the shift from Fordism towards neoliberal economics reshaped the political and public sphere within the Western block. The traditional spaces of politics lost their pivotal role, resulting in what was perceived as a general crisis of militant politics. In a 2011 interview with Justice spatiale | Spatial Justice, rereading Henri Lefebvre, David Harvey posited that this perception stemmed from the inability of the Left to include the urban dimension in its analytical framework. This panel aims at reframing and expanding the academic discourse around this urban dimension by focusing on the urban spaces that acquired political significance in Europe during the consolidation of neoliberalism (1980s and 1990s). W e are interested in papers exploring the political dimension and social function of all the urban spaces, from stadiums to schools, from clubs to churches, from theaters to shopping malls.

We welcome abstracts from scholars working in a variety of fields, including (but not limited to): history, cultural studies, film and media studies, comparative literature, geography, and urban studies. Possible areas of inquire are:

· The politics of the hooligan subculture and its representation in literature, films, and other media.

· Places and spaces of youth subcultures.

· The restructuring of mainstream and alternative film consumption.

· Political activism in schools and universities.

· The politics of squatting.

· Shopping malls and the reconfiguration of capitalist practices.

 

Please, submit your abstract to the following link by September 30th https://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/18829

 

For further information, please email Luca Zamparini (CUNY Graduate Center; Brooklyn College) lzamparini@gradcenter.cuny.edu or Dario Marcucci (CUNY Graduate Center; Hunter College) dmarcucci@gradcenter.cuny.edu