2001 A Space Odyssey

- Spatiality and Social Relations in the 21

st
Century
Seminar November 22-25 2001
Ros!ilde "niversity#s $ield station %olb&! 'enmar!
Arran(in( )nstitution* 'epartment o$ +eo(raphy and )nternational 'evelopments
Studies, Ros!ilde "niversity
)nvitation
Spatial questions are on the social and political agenda, and the nature of spatial imaginations
is central to some of the major contemporary social debates. Narratives on spatial inequality,
from the North-South divide to ghettoisation in Western cities, appear regularly in our daily
nespapers. !mmigrations from the third orld countries underline the mobility in the
contemporary orld and challenge Western"#uropean national identities. $t the same time,
national, regional and local political projects sho that spatial collective identities are not at
all a vanishing phenomenon. $nd recent political fights in Seattle, %rague and Nice have
shoed that fairly different spatial imaginations can be involved in the contested area of
globalisation. &hese fe e'amples should be enough to illustrate that the conceptualisations
of space ( an old geographical issue ( are as crucial in our current societies as ever before.
!t is possible to argue that the last ave of theoretical discussions on socio-spatial relations
started in the middle of the )*+,s, among other places in collections in both #ngland
-.regory and /rry -eds0 )*+1 Social Relations and Spatial Structures, 2ondon3 4acmillan0
and 5enmar6 -&onboe -ed0 )*+1 Farvel til byen, $alborg /niversitetsforlag0. 7ne
achievement from the development of these debates is the, no fairly generally agreed,
ac6noledgement that space -and time0 are social constructs. &his does not mean that they are
mere social conventions devoid of any material basis, rather they are conceptions constructed
by the ay of peoples social practices in their involvement ith the orld. &hat is hy
different social configurations produce qualitative different conceptions of space and time. 7n
that bac6ground e find it orthhile, no )1 years later, to resume the debate on socio-
spatial relationships ( to reconsider our conceptions of space and the possibilities for their
reimagination.
&herefore, e invite colleagues, old friends and hopefully ne ones from .eography and
related disciplines to join us in such a discussion on an international seminar arranged by the
5epartment of .eography and !nternational 5evelopment Studies, 8os6ilde /niversity. &he
seminar ill ta6e place at 8os6ilde /niversitys field station near 9olb:6 -;ealand0
November 22-25 2001. 5ue to si<e of this place e have to put an upper limit on the number
of participants of ma-, 50 persons. We have organised the seminar under to broad
headings3 &he first one, .obility immobility and spatiality, aims to consider ho
contemporary discourses on mobility influence our conceptions and imaginations of space.
&he second one, +lobal-local relationships, is supposed to consider established truths
about globalisation and its influence in different spheres of social life. We have invited some
spea6ers ith previous connections to 8os6ilde /niversity to contribute to these discussions,
but e do hope for a varied selection of papers to be submitted in order to secure a vivid
discussion.
Call $or papers and re(istration
%apers should relate to the themes mentioned in the invitation. !f you ant to present a paper,
please submit an abstract in addition to your registration. /he dead line $or re(istration and
submission o$ abstracts is 15 0une 2001. When the program of the paper sessions is set, a
boo6 of abstracts and programme ill be distributed to all participants. We as6 presenters to
bring copies of their final paper themselves.
1ractical in$ormation
8os6ilde /niversitys field station ( the =Sea mine station> ( is a former military comple'
located in a ood at !sefjord, est of 8os6ilde, 1 6m east of 9olb:6. &he rooms have
beteen ? and @ beds including bun6 beds. Aathrooms are in the corridor. &he field station
cannot be accessed by public transport.
Seminar $ee is '22 2300 to be paid in advance. %articipants ill receive further
instructions for payment. &he fee includes B night accommodation in -?, B or @ bed0 rooms
and all meals from dinner &hursday evening to brea6fast Sunday morning. !n addition,
transport and e'cursion by bus from Copenhagen "8os6ilde /niversity to the Dield station
&hursday afternoon, transport from the Dield station Sunday morning, and boo6 of abstracts.
1reliminary 1ro(ramme
November 22
nd
*
A$ternoon
$ssembly of participants in Copenhagen"8os6ilde /niversity
Dield trip on our ay to 9olb:6
Viggo Plum, Roskilde University, Denmark
4venin(
Welcome and introduction to the seminar
Jrgen le !"ren#oldt, Roskilde University, Denmark
Spatiality and movement, Cultural contribution
November 25
rd
* .obility )mmobility and Spatiality
.ornin(
4obility, Society, Space and &ime
Jo#n Urry, University o$ %ancaster, &ngland
&he embodied City ( Space-&ime and bodily practice
'irsten Simonsen, Roskilde University, Denmark
.eographical imaginations and spaces of poer
Derek (regory, University o$ !ritis# )olumbia, )anada
%lenary 5iscussion
A$ternoon
%aper session"s
November 26th* +lobal-local relationships
.ornin(
.lobal Space and the Ne #conomy ( 4yth and 8eality
Ray *udson, University o$ Dur#am, &ngland
.lobalisation, regionalisation and everyday life
!enno +erlen, University o$ Jena, (ermany
.lobalisation, the Welfare State and /rban %olicy
Jo#n Jrgensen, University o$ )open#agen, Denmark
%lenary 5iscussion
A$ternoon
%aper session"s

4venin(
Seminar 5inner
November 25th
5eparture
Re(istration $orm 2001 Space Odyssey seminar 22-25 November
Please mail to
,--. Space dyssey seminar
(eograp#y, building ,./.
Roskilde University
P//!o0 ,1-
D'23--- Roskilde
D&456R'
Dead line $or registration7 .8 June ,--./
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! ould li6e to present a paper entitled3
)nclude abstract on paper. !f you do not also include the paper as a Word file on a dis6ette,
e may later approach you to submit the abstract electronically. !n the case, that your abstract
has not been accepted, e ill contact you directly.