The Call for Papers “Migrating in small- and medium-sized towns: experiences, challenges and perspectives for participation” is now open. Join us in Thessaloniki (Greece) on 13-14 March 2023 at the PISTE Project mid-term conference to present your work and research. Our international policy and scientific conference welcomes both the presentation of academic research by scholars and that of relevant cases and policies by practitioners and policy-makers.
On the occasion of the mid-term event of the AMIF project PISTE, the project partners are glad to invite scholars, policy-makers and practitioners interested in dynamics, experiences and policies related to migrants’ participation in small- and medium-sized towns in Europe. Over the last few years, a consolidated literature shows how the local dimension has become a key playground and political arena for stances on migrants’ incorporation and participation. Indeed, it has become the level on which policy experiments and innovations, as well as exclusionary practices, are performed, producing nested but specific practices of migrants’ incorporation and participation. Such processes entail both new forms of citizenship and fragmentation and stratification of rights and a varied landscape of opportunities in social, economic and civic/political participation. A specific vantage point where migration processes and policy-making can be observed is constituted by Small and Medium-sized Towns (SMTs), which more or less recently, in different national contexts, have been witnessing plural settlement patterns and an increase of both migrant stayers and political, policy and public relevance of new citizens. While larger cities often have a longer history of immigration and may be endowed with policy instruments and pluralist identities, SMTs often face new challenges in managing diversity. Nevertheless, they often enjoy a specific room for manoeuvre and have place-specific opportunities to implement innovative measures not tied to path-dependent pre-structured solutions.
This International Conference welcomes papers and oral presentations from scholars, policy-makers and practitioners based on (preferably comparative) empirical research and professional experience to debate the challenges and opportunities SMSTs face in dealing with migration. In particular, we welcome papers and oral presentations on:
1) Migration trends, causes and incorporation processes; migration, placemaking and local identities;
2) Enabling and hindering factors in migrants’ participation and representation;
3) Implementation of incorporation measures: multilevel governance arrangements, room for manoeuvre, difficulties, challenges and opportunities);
4) Innovative and/or experimental practices aimed at promoting and improving participation;
We are happy to prioritise proposals coming from international and national projects, networks, umbrella organisations and associations doing research, action research, advocacy, and consultancy on issues addressed by the PISTE project in the perspective of improving networking and collaboration among partners and relevant stakeholders.
The conference will take place in Thessaloniki, Greece, on 13-14 March 2023. Abstracts of papers should be 250-300 words long and include the author’s name, affiliation and a short bio (max 150 words) of the author(s). Abstracts shall be sent to: piste@uniurb.it
Deadline: 20th January 2023
Please, note that:
- The conference will be primarily held in presence, and speakers are meant to be in Thessaloniki, as one of the goals is to facilitate discussion and networking. Details on the venue will be provided in January. Online arrangements can be negotiated at a later stage under specific conditions.
- There is no participation fee. Anyway, speakers and attendees are expected to cover their travel costs.
- Proceedings of the conference will be published open access in the book series “Migratown” (Urbino University Press)
- The Conference established a Best Paper Award for young researchers (priority given to leading authors less than 35 years old and/or within 5 years from their PhD). The best paper – selected by the scientific and organising committee – will be submitted to Migration Letters with a priority track (please note that the contribution will be subject to the standard double-blind peer review processes.).
Scientific Committee:
Athanasia Andriopoulou, University of Urbino-Carlo Bo
Alba Angelucci, University of Eastern Piedmont-Amedeo Avogadro
Eduardo Barberis, University of Urbino-Carlo Bo
Fabio De Blasis, University of Urbino-Carlo Bo
Gül Ince-Beqo, University of Urbino-Carlo Bo
Katrin Großmann, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt
Stijn Oosterlynck, University of Antwerp
Silvia Pitzalis, University of Urbino-Carlo Bo
Federico Rossi, University of Urbino-Carlo Bo
Organising committee:
Alekos Anastasiou, Human Rights 360
Athanasia Andriopoulou, University of Urbino-Carlo Bo
Alba Angelucci, University of Eastern Piedmont-Amedeo Avogadro
Eduardo Barberis, University of Urbino-Carlo Bo
Fabio De Blasis, University of Urbino-Carlo Bo
Katerina Komita, Human Rights 360
Gül Ince-Beqo, University of Urbino-Carlo Bo
Silvia Pitzalis, University of Urbino-Carlo Bo
Federico Rossi, University of Urbino-Carlo Bo
