[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=»CALL FOR PAPERS» font_container=»tag:h1 | text_align:left» google_fonts=»font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700 | font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal»][vc_custom_heading text=»VIII COES INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE: “SOCIAL COHESION IN TURBULENT TIMES”» google_fonts=»font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700 | font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal»][vc_custom_heading text=»NOVEMBER 15-16, 2021″ font_container=»tag:h3 | text_align:left» google_fonts=»font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700 | font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal»][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text][penci_button link=»https://coes.cl/2021-viii-Conferencia-internacional-coes/» icon=»fa fa-address-book» icon_position=»left»] SPANISH VERSION[/penci_button]

The concept of social cohesion has reemerged with renewed vigor in recent times as a consequence of the various crises and challenges facing our societies, such as economic inequality, migration, segregation, and unequal access to basic services depending on individuals’ ability to pay. The ongoing pandemic, in addition to economic and socio-environmental crises, has heightened these concerns and raised questions not only as to whether we, as a society, are prepared to face these challenges, but also as to what kind of society we want to create, taking into account the lessons learned from these crises and their associated conflicts. Economic models based on the promise of success as recompense for individual effort are coming under great strain as a result of the growing risks currently facing societies, many of which are unpredictable and unexpected. This is shifting the focus towards alternatives and issues that are traditionally associated with social cohesion: solidarity, trust, redistribution, sense of belonging, and participation. These challenges also raise the question of what types of institutions should emerge from these new social agreements.

Social cohesion, which is generally associated with the quantity and quality of ties between individuals, groups, and institutions, is a perspective from which we can assess the current situation and projections of the future. It can also provide a space for cooperation and reflection between academia, civil society, and the state. It is in this context in which the Center for Social Conflict and Cohesion Studies (COES)1 is planning to hold its VIII Annual Conference, entitled “Social Cohesion in Turbulent Times”, which will be held online November 15-16. Researchers from all areas of the social sciences are invited to submit their papers and posters in order to be included in any of the following thematic areas:

¹ The Center for Social Conflict and Cohesion Studies, COES, conducts collaborative and interdisciplinary research on issues related to conflict and social cohesion through a team from the social sciences and humanities. COES is sponsored by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad de Chile, as institutions associated with Universidad Diego Portales and Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, in addition to receiving funding from ANID’s FONDAP program.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=»18px»][vc_single_image image=»40818″ img_size=»full» style=»vc_box_rounded» onclick=»custom_link» img_link_target=»_blank» link=»https://coes.cl/formulario-Conferencia-coes-2021/»][vc_empty_space][vc_custom_heading text=»THEMATIC AREAS» font_container=»tag:h3 | text_align:left» google_fonts=»font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700 | font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal»][vc_empty_space height=»18px»][vc_toggle title=»1. Conceptualization and measurement of social cohesion» style=»square» color=»orange» size=»lg»]

Responsible for the area: Mauro Basaure, Juan Carlos Castillo, Macarena Orchard y Matías Sanfuentes

This thematic area is focused on the discussion of theoretical and methodological aspects of researching social cohesion. Despite the fact that social cohesion has a long history in the social sciences, there is no univocal definition of what it is, since different theoretical traditions have focused on wide-ranging aspects of the subject. While some have centered on its connections to institutional dimensions such as trust in institutions and political participation, others have emphasized its relation to networks, social capital, and the sense of belonging. The concept has also received increased attention in recent years due to its consideration as a policy benchmark by both national and international institutions for various issues of public relevance. This has encouraged some authors to propose new definitions of social cohesion, many of which of which are inconsistent, either in conceptual terms or with regard to its operationalization and measurement.

In this context, we would like to invite the submission of papers that discuss the conceptualization and empirical operationalization of the concept of social cohesion. In the theoretical area, we will welcome papers that debate the strengths and weaknesses of the various theoretical traditions that address the concept, new analytical proposals on the topic, including the analysis of its dimensions and sub- dimensions, as well as papers that use the concept of social cohesion with other associated theoretical concepts (such as inequality, violence, segregation, and social capital, among others). In the methodological field, we hope to receive papers that address proposals for empirical measurement of the phenomenon, including those that focus on the complexities and limits of measurement, as well as discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methodologies in order to understand its scope.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=»2. Social cohesion, inequality, accumulation, and elites» style=»square» color=»orange» size=»lg»]

Responsible for the area: Jorge Atria, Dante Contreras y Luis Garrido

The aim of this area is to examine the impact of inequality and accumulation on social cohesion. Inequalities in income and wealth may not solely imply large economic gaps between different population groups, but also social and power distances to influence relevant collective decisions. Similarly, while large economic inequalities call into question the distribution of resources produced by markets and the ability of states to reduce those differences, social inequalities erode coexistence and solidarity between different groups and policies threaten the functioning of democracy. In these three topics, the elites are key to understanding the trajectories of those at the top of the economic hierarchy, the ways in which the most advantaged groups relate to the rest of society, and the ways in which power is exercised and distributed.

In this area we will consider research from various disciplinary fields and perspectives that contributes to the understanding of elites and their role in promoting or weakening social cohesion. We will accept papers that consider economic, social, political, and territorial aspects of the elites, as well as research that examines institutions, countries, or specific cases in which the dynamics of economic accumulation, reproduction or circulation of elites, or the exercise of influence and power are in effect.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=»3. Human mobility, diversity and challenges to social cohesion» style=»square» color=»orange» size=»lg»]

Responsible for the area: Paola Díaz, Carolina Ramírez y Carolina Stefoni

In this thematic area, the objective is to analyze new challenges and opportunities for social cohesion in a context of increasing human mobility, uncertainty, and the growing global migrant crisis. The restrictions on human mobility imposed by various countries in the region continue to exacerbate the acute humanitarian crisis affecting migrants, refugees, and displaced persons in Latin America, simultaneously hindering or preventing the construction of citizenship and processes of insertion of these people into the different societies of destination. In turn, migrants who already reside in host countries and experience different types of exclusion and deprivation generate a diversity of socio-spatial practices that enable them to inhabit and build the city.

We invite proposals that address the development of regimes for control of migration, processes of borderization, and securitization and criminalization of certain types of human mobility, as well as papers that address the possibilities for and obstacles to social cohesion in processes of participation, insertion, and/or exclusion of migrant populations in receiving societies. The specific topics we expect to address include: (i) Studies on borders, control, and migratory irregularity; (ii) Social representations of immigration and human mobility; iii) Human and non-human borderization arrangements and devices; iv) Comparisons between migration policies; v) Venezuelan migration and refugees in the Americas; vi) Migration and citizenship; vii) Migration from an intersectional perspective; viii) Migration and public policy (education, healthcare, housing); ix) Coexistence, conflicts, and (in)hospitalities; and x) Migration and socio-health crises.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=»4. Gender, the care economy, and social cohesion» style=»square» color=»orange» size=»lg»]

Responsible for the area: Bárbara Flores, Paola Jirón, Diana Kruger y Valentina Paredes

Although the gender gaps in the labor market have narrowed in the last few decades, disparities still exist in many spheres of public life, including political participation, civic engagement, social networks, and trust in institutions. The social organization of care is fundamental in this area, with this being understood as all of the activities that enable the reproduction and preservation of life. It has been proposed that the causes of gender gaps in the various dimensions of social cohesion, and particularly in care, are due to the internalization of gender roles by society, perpetuated over time, which reinforce the view of the division of the public and private spheres between men and women.

This thematic area will discuss gender relations and the different aspects of social cohesion. In particular, we would like to receive papers on the role of gender and care, as the Covid-19 health crisis has highlighted the importance of care in both the domestic and public spheres. Analyzing care requires a broader and more critical discussion of what the pandemic has revealed, as well as how care will be addressed in the post-pandemic scenario in terms of the conceptualization of care, the subjects of care, and the defamiliarization, collectivization, and spatialization of care in cities. We invite the submission of papers that address a wide-ranging debate on gender and social cohesion with regard to: i) The relationship between gender and the various aspects of social cohesion; ii) Economic analysis of care; iii) Spatial dimensions of care; iv) Defamiliarization and public policies; v) Experiences of collectivization of care and social cohesion; vi) Intersectional perspectives on care; vii) Networks and chains of care and reproduction of life; viii) Use of time, gender, and care.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=»5. Environmental challenges and communities in times of territorial transformation and decentralization» style=»square» color=»orange» size=»lg»]

Responsible for the area: Matías Garretón, Felipe Irarrázabal, Caroline Stamm

In this area we are calling for papers focused on emerging dynamics of social cohesion in the context of environmental issues and conflicts, or which consider territorial identities to be a central dimension of collective action. Although environmental conflicts or territorial inequalities are usually approached in an antagonistic manner, these processes engender new social and identity bonds based on views of the environment, sustainability, and territory. In the context of a crisis of sustainability and the fragility of environmental balances, we consider new forms of participation and coordination of actors motivated by the sustainable development of their territories.

We would like to receive papers that address the following topics: i) Citizen participation, socio-environmental conflicts and views on sustainability; ii) Decentralization, territorial identities, and the constitutional process; iii) Actors and roles in the construction of social cohesion: companies (CSR, community relations), NGOs, communities and governments; iv) Territorial and environmental dialogues after the 2019 social uprising in Chile; v) Sustainability alternatives led by communities, from local actions to public policies.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=»6. Socio-spatial inequality and urban cohesion» style=»square» color=»orange» size=»lg»]

Responsible for the area: María Luisa Méndez y Alejandra Rasse

The objective of this area is to examine the relationship between socio-spatial inequality and social cohesion in the specific field of urban studies. The unequal distribution of opportunities and well-being in the territory, residential segregation, the concentration of polluting or undesirable activities in certain areas, and the unequal labeling of neighborhoods, localities, or municipalities, among others, not only represent spatial inequalities, but also have consequences for the establishment of ties, the construction of socio-territorial identities, and ultimately, in terms of urban social cohesion.

What effects does socio-spatial inequality have on the settlement, sense of belonging, and social participation of people with respect to their places of residence and more broadly with regard to the scale of city and country? What is the relationship between urban cohesion and the experience of segregation, self-segregation, densification, or overcrowding? And what social and urban conditions promote or hinder different forms of sociability in cities of different sizes? These are just some of the questions that this area aims to address. Special attention will be paid to exploring whether the scales of cohesion (neighborhood, urban, and social) obey the same or different logics, factors, and meanings. Papers from various disciplines and methodologies that address the multiple aspects of the relationship between socio- spatial inequality and urban cohesion will therefore be welcomed, such as works on residential segregation, territorial inequalities, unequal daily mobility, and settlement, sense of belonging, local participation, territorial stigma, and urban integration, among others, as well as those that focus these discussions on specific areas and/or groups, such as children, senior citizens, or by gender, etc.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=»7. Interactions, social networks, and social capital» style=»square» color=»orange» size=»lg»]

Responsible for the area: Vicente Espinoza, Juan Diego García y Felipe Link

This area will focus on analyzing social cohesion from the perspective of social ties, with particular attention to interactions, social networks, and social capital. There are multiple alternatives for tackling the issue of social cohesion in relation to various forms of building social ties, which are undergoing an evident transformation at present. Social trust, understood as a factor that facilitates investment in social relations with expectations of returns, is being called into question at various levels, from neighborhood relations to trust in institutions, and even more so in highly unequal societies where differences in social class position have an impact on the way in which ties are formed.

We would like to call for papers that address and problematize social cohesion from a perspective of relational analysis, recognizing the study of daily practices and social interactions in terms of space, as well as the different forms of social capital of individuals, groups, and communities. We are also inviting the submission of papers that theoretically or empirically analyze processes through which social networks emerge, evolve, and have consequences in: i) Neighborhoods and social organizations; ii) Personal networks, social capital; iii) Trust, sense of belonging; iv) Participation; and v) Individual and group behavior.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=»8. Citizenship training, participation, and social cohesion» style=»square» color=»orange» size=»lg»]

Responsible for the area: Rodolfo Disi, Gloria Jiménez-Moya, Paula Luengo y Nicolás Somma

The objective of this area is to reflect on forms of citizen participation and the challenges of training individuals to exercise active citizenship and the effects on social cohesion. Studies on the relationship between social cohesion and social capital have increasingly identified the reciprocal effect between the quality of social relations and the proper functioning of democracy, which are both dimensions considered to be the positive outcome of citizenship training. Indeed, various disciplines have highlighted the need to redefine citizenship training in terms of constructing diverse, inclusive, and cohesive societies. In contexts marked by inequality and segregation, it is essential to redefine the processes of civic socialization that promote social cohesion, while simultaneously generating social change aimed at creating more egalitarian societies. These processes of cohesion and change should integrate both the individual development of each citizen and collective development based on respect for the diversity of individuals and groups.

The focus of this invitation for papers is to answer the question about the mechanisms and processes involved at the micro levels of social cohesion, about the quality of interpersonal relationships, and the forms of collective participation and actions that support the exercise of citizenship that is capable of simultaneously accepting the differences between the individuals that make up society and help strengthen cohesion among them.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=»9. Political participation, social pacts, and the constituent process in Chile» style=»square» color=»orange» size=»lg»]

Encargados de eje: Carolina Aguilera, Emmanuelle Barozet, Isabel Castillo, Rodolfo López y Juan Pablo Rodríguez

Este eje tiene como objetivo analizar cómo se redefine la cohesión social en el marco del actual proceso de transformación institucional en Chile, así como las disputas en torno al orden político. El proceso constituyente es una oportunidad única para analizar cómo, quiénes y a través de qué mecanismos la sociedad chilena construye un nuevo pacto social en un contexto de crisis económica y social. El estallido social del 18-O, el plebiscito de 2020 y las recientes elecciones de constituyentes, son instancias de participación política donde confluyen actores consolidados y emergentes. En un contexto de reconocida desigualdad política, la movilización de nuevos actores y el uso de nuevos repertorios se abren paso para expresar aspiraciones ciudadanas que conviven con formas más tradicionales de representación. Institucionalmente, el trabajo de los y las constituyentes en la convención tendrá que hacerse cargo de la demanda por una redistribución más equitativa del poder junto a expectativas de legitimidad y transparencia.

Invitamos a presentar ponencias que analicen las bases sociales y las formas de participación política detrás de estas transformaciones en curso, así como de los pactos sociales que los sostienen o se están construyendo actualmente en Chile, centrándose (aunque no exclusivamente) en los siguientes temas: i) Formas, instancias y niveles de participación política antes y durante la convención; ii) El rol de la sociedad civil organizada, grupos de interés y lobby, medios de comunicación, centros de estudio y líderes de en el trabajo de la Convención Constitucional; iii) Administración local y demandas por descentralización; iv) Incorporación de perspectivas de género en la agenda de los delegados y el debate de la convención; v) Reconocimiento e incorporación de las demandas de los pueblos indígenas en el debate y texto constitucional; vi) Definición y elaboración de perspectivas de pacto social en el debate constitucional dentro y fuera de la convención ; vii) Cambio constitucional en perspectiva comparada.[/vc_toggle][vc_empty_space][vc_custom_heading text=»¡SIGN UP!» font_container=»tag:h3 | text_align:left» google_fonts=»font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700 | font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal»][vc_single_image image=»40822″ img_size=»full» style=»vc_box_rounded» onclick=»custom_link» img_link_target=»_blank» link=»https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XLd0wgkarWUpWy9CrCo461-_wtax6wfLZrRSswYqUSQ/edit»][vc_empty_space][vc_custom_heading text=»PRESENTATION FORMAT» font_container=»tag:h3 | text_align:left» google_fonts=»font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700 | font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal»][vc_empty_space][vc_toggle title=»Questions can be sent to the email address comunicaciones@coes.cl» style=»simple» color=»black» size=»sm»][/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=»Papers should be presented in the form of an extended abstract with a maximum length of 1000 words (not including bibliography).» style=»simple» color=»black» size=»sm»][/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=»State the preferred thematic area (primary and secondary).» style=»simple» color=»black» size=»sm»][/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=»State full name/s of the author/s, their institutional affiliation, and the email address/es of each of them.» style=»simple» color=»black» size=»sm»][/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=»Because of the format of the conference (online), authors will be allowed to send a recording of their presentation that will be used in case of technical difficulties on the day of the presentation. However, it does not preclude live participation in debate sessions on the respective panel.» style=»simple» color=»black» size=»sm»][/vc_toggle][vc_empty_space height=»18px»][vc_single_image image=»40820″ img_size=»full» style=»vc_box_rounded» onclick=»custom_link» img_link_target=»_blank» link=»https://coes.cl/formulario-Conferencia-coes-2021/»][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=»40826″ img_size=»full»][/vc_column][/vc_row]