Social Justice in the Global City? Contested Views on Social Control, Borders, and Equity

Social control in urban spaces has intensified in recent months and years. Clashes over policing, repression, terrorism, and border protection are becoming commonplace in diverse urban settings. This trend is evident across a wide array of settings from Ferguson, Missouri and the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, to the streets of cities throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Questions of equity and justice are becoming increasingly urgent as formal institutions of social control extend their reach. At the same time, cities continue to serve as sites for creative forms of political mobilization, citizen-based sustainable development, and innovation. Social movements are emerging, for example, in calls for the right to the city, improved livability, local sustainability, tactical urbanism and environmental justice. As inequalities become increasingly evident at local, regional and global scales, greater numbers of citizens are questioning current economic models that appear to widen economic and social gaps.
The city of San Diego, CA is a gateway community and part of the San Diego-Tijuana binational region, thus making it an appropriate place for urban scholars to explore questions of urban safety, justice, globalization, and the potential for policy innovation. Urban scholars are not simply observers. They play an active role in scrutinizing social, political, economic, and environmental changes in cities. As such, urban scholars are uniquely positioned to identify effective and ineffective urban strategies, and advance new approaches to meeting the challenges of cities and their interdependent communities. A focus on creating sustainable neighborhoods, healthy urban environments, and accessible landscapes of opportunity, will move us beyond traditional models of market-driven urban development.

Proposal Submission Formats and Policies

A proposal can be submitted through the UAA website (starting June 1, 2015) for a:

  • Research paper presentation-(proposal requires an abstract) OR
  • Pre-organized panel-(proposal requires a panel summary, group of 4-5 paper abstracts with moderator) OR
  • Pre-organized colloquy-(proposal requires theme statement & names of 4-5 formal discussants) OR
  • Breakfast roundtable-(proposal requires theme statement & names of 1-2 conveners) OR
  • Poster-(proposal requires an abstract)—best option for persons who are in early stage of their research

You do not have to be a UAA member to submit an abstract or session proposal. No abstract fees are required.

Contact Info: conf[at]atuaamail.org