Diversity is a key feature of European societies. European integration, global migrations, the ageing of the population, and changing gender roles have shed light on diversity and put it on the agenda. EURODIV organises a set of Conferences on the understanding of diversity and its dynamics through an interdisciplinary and cross-national approach.

The third EURODIV Conference takes the social arena as the unit of analysis of cultural diversity. Focusing on cities, it studies the interaction between urban space, the dynamics of identity formation, the construction of cross-cultural relationships and the emergence of cultural dialogue. The Conference provides an opportunity for diversity scholars to discuss the state-of-the-art of research and to envisage possible alternative scenarios of research specifically within European contexts.

The Conference is organised under the auspices of the Marie Curie Series of Conferences “EURODIV: Cultural Diversity in Europe: a Series of Conferences” (MSCF-CT-2004-516670). Its main objective is to bring together researchers in the first years of their research career (see below for details) to exchange knowledge in a spirit of mutual learning. Leading diversity scholars will be invited to introduce the topics of the Conference.
The local organisers are Prof. Sandra Wallman and Prof. Susanne Kuechler, from UCL Department of Anthropology. For more information on this Conference, the past two Conferences and forthcoming events please visit the EURODIV website at http://www.susdiv.org.

The Conference is organised around four main topics:
1. Spaces between diversities. Public places, buffer zones, negotiable spaces, non places. Under this heading we welcome papers dealing with geographic and topographic aspects and their symbolic value with regard to diversity.

2. Boundaries between diverse groups. Context/conditions affecting outcome of interaction between those groups. In mapping social boundaries we know that they can be fluid, permeable and vary with context. Concepts of cultural compression, creolisation, and Putnam’s distinction between bonding and bridging social capital may be relevant here.

3. Methods for mapping and/or analysing networks of interaction and/or relationship between diverse groups. Urban research presents special opportunities and difficulties. Under this heading we welcome explorations of innovative methods.

4. Material/symbolic manifestations of diversity. Diversity shows in the things that we buy and sell: goods sold in markets, clothing, food and restaurants, artwork, and in public/private ethnic ceremonies and celebrations. We welcome contributions addressing the material and symbolic manifestations of diversity.

Grants
There are several grants available for the Conference. Grants cover living expenses (up to a max of 150.00 euro per day) and travel expenses (up to a maximum amount established on the basis of travel distances). A small number of grants are destined to researchers that do not have a paper to submit. There are no Conference fees.

Researchers eligible for funding
Group 1: Early-stage researchers. Researchers attending the event for training purposes, who have, at the time of their attendance, no more than 4 years of (full-time equivalent) research experience since obtaining the diploma which gives them direct access to doctoral studies in the country in which the diploma was obtained and who do not have a doctoral degree.

Group 2: Mid-career researchers. Researchers attending the event for training purposes, who have, at the time of their attendance, a doctoral degree or 4-10 years of (full-time equivalent) research experience since obtaining the diploma which gives them direct access to doctoral studies in the country in which the diploma was obtained.

Group 3: European Researchers active outside the Union. Researchers attending the event for training purposes, who have, at the time of their attendance, more than 10 years of (full-time equivalent) research experience since obtaining the diploma which gives them direct access to doctoral studies in the country in which the diploma was obtained, who are nationals of Member States or Associated Member States and who are active in research outside the Member States and Associated Member States at the time of the event.

Submissions and applications for a grant
If you are interested in submitting a paper, please send an e-mail to Valeria Papponetti (valeria.papponetti@feem.it) by 1st April 2007 including:
1. A 600-word abstract. Please indicate the name, affiliation and e-mail address of author(s), who is the contact author, the paper title, and max 5 keywords;
2. The application form (attached) duly filled in. The application form can also be faxed at +39 02 52036946;
3. Full CV of the applicant(s);
4. A copy of the applicant(s) ID. The copy of the ID can also be faxed at +39 02 52036946.
Grants for multiple authors will be considered, depending on funds availability.

If you wish to apply for a grant and do not have a paper to submit, please send an e-mail to Valeria Papponetti (valeria.papponetti@feem.it) by 1st April 2007 including:
1. A motivation letter (max 600 words) that explains the reason why you would like to participate in the Conference. Please indicate your full name, affiliation and e-mail address;
2. The application form (attached) duly filled in. The application form can also be faxed at +39 02 52036946;
3. Full CV of the applicant(s);
4. A copy of the applicant(s) ID. The copy of the ID can also be faxed at +39 02 52036946.

Incomplete submissions or submissions sent after the deadline will not be taken into consideration. The final decision will be taken by 1st May 2007. Researchers selected for participation should submit their full papers by 1st August 2007 (max 8K words).

The Scientific Committee
Gianmarco I. P. Ottaviano, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, Milano, Italy and University of Bologna, Italy
Maddy Janssens, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Sandra Wallman and Susanne Kuechler, University College London, London, UK
Raffaele Bracalenti, Istituto Psicoanalitico per le Ricerche Sociali, Roma, Italy