Planetary Urbanization: Cities, Heartlands and Home

Tuesday, November 4
14:30 to 16:30,
Verney Room, South Ross 674
York University

Reception to follow.

Focusing on feminist theories, methods, and politics, this roundtable examines
possibilities and pitfalls of “planetary urbanization” as a presumed reality
and analytical lens.

Many herald planetary urbanization as a landmark theoretical frame for
understanding contemporary politics as inescapably about “urban society.” Some
suggest harnessing scholarly and political energy toward urban society by
abandoning both “the city” as a unit of scholarly inquiry and “the right to the
city” as a political aspiration. However, cities, as well as myriads of other
local milieus, such as the heartland, home, family, and body, have been
integral to feminist theorizations of politics and power. They have been
platforms for feminist political action.

Drawing upon examples from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe, this panel
will address the following inter-related questions:

1. Where, if anywhere, is there space for feminist theories, methods and
politics on the planetary urbanization landscape?

2. Does a focus on planetary urbanization subsume, erase, or realign feminist
concerns?

3. Will the planetary urbanization lens limit or offer new pathways for feminist
thought, research, and action?

4. Can the terrain of planetary urbanization launch new waves of feminist
engagement, and, if so, in what ways, to what ends, and by what means?

CHAIR

Ms. Vanesa Tomasino-Rodriguez
Department of Political Science doctoral student
York University

PRESENTERS

Dr. Nazgol Bagheri
Assistant Professor of Political Science and Geography
University of Texas, San Antonio

Mr. Karl Gardner
Department of Political Science doctoral student
York University

Dr. Laam Hae
Associate Professor of Department Political Science
York University

Dr. Roger Keil
Professor of Environmental Studies
York University

Dr. Faranak Miraftab
Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Ms. Jess Parish
Department of Political Science doctoral candidate
York University

This event has been made possible with the generous support of the Faculty of
Liberal Arts and Professional Studies and the Office of the Provost; as well as
the European Union, Jean Monnet Programme (incoming Jean Monnet Chair, Dr.
Heather MacRae); The City Institute; the School of Gender, Sexuality and
Women’s Studies; Department of Geography; Department of Political Science; and,
the Department of Social Science. Special thanks to Trudeau Fellow Professor
Isabella Bakker and the students in the Doctoral Core Course in Women and
Politics for sharing classroom time and space for this event.

For more information, please contact
Karen Murray, Associate Professor,
Department of Political Science,
at murrayk@yorku.ca/416-736-2100, ext. 30087