The Place I Call Research: Localizing Sociological Inquiry The University of Manchester, June 15, 2018 Call for Papers Despite the recent focus in social sciences on situating one’s research, the actual process of selecting and navigating particular community contexts remains a difficult task. The reconfiguring of local spaces into sites of research is particularly relevant now, as the internet and new media blur previously taken-for-granted boundaries and processes of localization. This conference seeks to engage researchers across the social sciences and humanities to discuss the role of places in their work. In particular, we are interested in exploring the ways in which methodologies are contextualized to tackle both new spaces and ‘old’ spaces in the flux of change. However we are also attentive to the interaction between researchers and the larger community regarding those spaces, such as public policy development that is contextually bound and the impact of business models in the alteration and creation of places. The conference will take place at the University of Manchester on 15 June 2018. It is an all-day event which will feature both academic papers and public events including a roundtable with community members, a public screening, and an exhibition. Attendance is free. We welcome submissions for 15 minute papers from doctoral and masters’ students and early-career researchers across multiple disciplines, especially sociology, anthropology, economics, politics, geography, public health, and cultural studies. Some of the conference’s key themes are: - new and old spaces: queer, postcolonial and online contexts - addressing changing political and social contexts in our research - urban/rural dichotomies - place ownership, no-place, and homelessness - how social, cultural, and community challenges affect fieldwork - developing community-specific methodologies and research questions - how theories and knowledges are context-specific, as well as the potential for trans-contextual research Abstract submissions should be between 150 and 300 words and include five keywords. Creative research methodologies are welcomed. Scholars are encouraged to reflect on local engagement in their papers. Deadline for submissions: 26 March, 2018 Acceptance notification: 16 April, 2018 Registration: May 1, 2018 Website (and submission form): www.placemrc2018.wordpress.com. Inquiries should be directed at placemcr2018@gmail.com Twitter @placemcr2018