Conference session: call for papers

Figurational Studies of Contemporary Social Processes

Matt Clement (UWE, Bristol), John Lever (Jblresearch) and Ryan Powell (Sheffield Hallam University).

This conference session will run at the ‘Norbert Elias and Figurational Sociology: Prospects for the Future’ conference at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark on 2–4 April 2012: Click here for more details.

It will engage with figurational work that sets out to understand contemporary social processes, their direction(s) and their outcomes for different groups. Researchers in many fields of inquiry are increasingly drawn to Elias's conceptual apparatus, using it to examine a range of contemporary issues related to policy, space and governance. Particular areas of inquiry include:

• Anti-social behaviour and the governance of conduct 
• The de-civilizing of welfare 
• Urban regeneration and partnership working 
• Group relations and conflict in the city 
• The stigmatisation of 'outsider' groups 
• Spaces of informalization 
• Civilizing offensives and civilizing spurts 
• Climate change and global warming 
• Moral panics and austerity 

Many studies use a variety of methods to develop insightful theoretical accounts of contemporaneous social processes. This inter-disciplinary session attempts to build on these accounts. We envisage contributions from those working across sociology, human geography, criminology, history and political science, but welcome contributions from other disciplines. The session is looking for papers that foster new sociological insight and theoretical development. Papers from early career researchers and postgraduate students are also particularly welcome.

Please send abstracts, of no more than 150 words, to Ryan Powell at R.S.Powell@shu.ac.uk by 15th December 2011. Register for the conference by sending an email to Mette Cruse Skou at mcs@ifs.ku.dk with your name, affiliation, address, phone number and email address. 

The Conference fee is 50 Euro, which covers lunches, coffee/tea and fruit. Students: 15 Euro. The conference fee needs to be paid at the conference venue/registration desk when the conference starts.