Urban citizenship implies a fragmentation of claims that affects rights to the city as universal, all-inclusive ideals: we see a trend towards a diversification of interests, a weakening and separation of movements, and competition about resources rather than more solidarities within groups working as collectives on the pathway to a livable and more just city. Such urban citizenship is always in conversation with modes of governance, which vary greatly among Europe. Different modes of governance always require categorizations on various scales. Starting from the central argument of James Scott Seeing Like a State (1999) that any government means categorization, and any categorization fails to acknowledge the metis of locally embedded practices, knowledges, and ways of seeing and doing things, especially on and from the urban margins, this conference seeks to sociologically address this tension.
3 October 2022
