„Bridging the divide: exploring the local in social cohesion“: Call for presentations or sessions

Bridging the divide: exploring the local in social cohesion, October 12-13, 2023
Location:  Leibniz University Hannover, Germany

We invite you to participate in the conference “Bridging the divide: exploring the local in social cohesion” which aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue on social cohesion at the local level. While social cohesion is often conceptualized at a macro-level, it is rooted in subjective feelings of belonging that are mainly experienced and established in individuals’ locally-oriented social environment. Social cohesion encompasses the ties that exist between and within local communities, extending beyond bonds in particular groups.
This conference brings together researchers from various disciplines, including human geography, political science, sociology, spatial planning, economics, and others. We welcome both conceptual and empirical presentations that shed light on the challenges, strategies, and implications related to social cohesion at the local level.

Topics of interest for presentations and sessions include, but are not limited to:
•    Understanding the significance of local contexts for social cohesion
•    Exploring the influence of social infrastructures on local social cohesion
•    Examining the role of civic engagement in fostering local social cohesion
•    Advancing theoretical approaches of local social cohesion
•    Strategies and policies for (re)establishing social cohesion in local environments
•    Local belonging and its impact on social cohesion
•    Cross-regional and cross-country differences in social cohesion: implications for spatial development and policy-making

We encourage presentations that highlight innovative approaches, practical insights, and evidence-based solutions. Submissions can take the form of individual presentations or full sessions with up to four presentations.
For a presentation (20 minutes presentation and 10 minutes discussion), please submit your name and affiliation, a title, and an informative abstract (max. 200 words). Please email your proposal to the scientific organizers (fgz@uni-hannover.de). Submission deadline is 1 July 2023.

For a full session (90 minutes), please submit all details, including names of the presenters, title of session, and abstracts (max. 200 words each). Sessions can have up to four presenters. One discussant and one chair are recommended. Please email your proposal to the scientific organizers (fgz@uni-hannover.de). Submission deadline is 1 July 2023.

The conference is hosted by the Research Institute Social Cohesion and will take place in Hanover, Germany. There is no registration fee for the conference. The conference language is English.