Posted on behalf of Phil Hubbard – Streetlife symposium, University of Kent, 15 Sept 201

The street is a social space like no other. It has always been a key laboratory for studies of social life, from the roots of contemporary urban sociology in the pioneering ethnographies of the Chicago School through to the diverse range of contemporary studies which consider the performative, affective and non-representational nature of social practice through in situ examination of street etiquette and encounter. Yet, the street remains only loosely defined in many studies, and sometimes disappears from view when social action is privileged over material context. Streetlife: the shifting sociologies of the street, a one-day interdisciplinary symposium, sponsored by The Sociological Review and organised by Prof Phil Hubbard andDr Dawn Lyon (School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Research, University of Kent) will address the ways in which the street matters in contemporary sociology and geography. It will critically explore what and how we can learn from street spaces, and demonstrate the value of a more careful scrutiny of the importance of the street as a site, scale and field for sociological and urban research. The day will offer focused debate considering the place of the street in contemporary research which is theoretically engaged, radically oriented and thoroughly attuned to questions of everyday life and transformation.

Keynote speakers are Prof Sophie Watson (OU), Dr Suzanne Hall (LSE), and Dr Monica Degen (Brunel). An additional ten panel members from UK universities will participate in sessions on nostalgia, street cultures and urban change; changing social norms in ‘superdiverse’ times; and new technologies, urban aesthetics and atmospheres.

The event will take place on Tuesday 15 September 2015 at the University of Kent’s Medway campus (40 minutes from St Pancras, HS1). Full details at: https://www.kent.ac.uk/sspssr/news-events/streetlife-symposium.html

The event is free but places are limited. To register, please go to: https://www.kent.ac.uk/sspssr/news-events/streetlife-symposium.html?tab=register-for-a-place