The University of Kentucky Department of Geography invites you to our 9th Annual Harrison and Eva Lewis Bailey Distinguished Alumni Lecture. Harrison and Eva graduated from UK; Eva from Psychology in 1948 and Harrison from Geography in 1949. Read more about the fund here, established by Harrison in memory of Eva.
Prof Eugene McCann, Simon Fraser University
9th Harrison and Eva Lewis Bailey Distinguished Alumni Lecture
Moving ideas: Policy mobilities, social movement studies, and the spatialities of political activism
This paper attempts to create a conversation between the literature on policy mobilities and the one on social movements. The policy mobilities literature is concerned with the production and circulation of policy ideas, knowledge, and models among localities across the globe, with a focus on hegemonic policies. The social movements literature addresses counterhegemonic political activism at scales from the local to the global. I argue that the notion of ‘moving ideas’—ideas that are moved from place to place and that move people to political action—creates a space for fruitful a dialogue. The policy mobilities literature could benefit from paying more attention to counterhegemonic politics, as discussed in the literature on social movement activism. By the same token, the social movements literature could benefit from many policy mobilities concepts that elucidate how and with what effects ideas travel. The paper builds a conceptual framework by drawing together a series of concepts: situated knowledge on-the-move; persuasion, coalition-building, and policy counterpublics; activism, truth-spots, and the grip of encounter; generative failure and the temporalities of moving ideas; and futuring. The paper grounds its discussion in the case of the global circulation of ideas developed by the harm reduction social movement. This movement promotes non-punitive approaches to drug use and I will focus specifically on harm reductionists’ campaigns for Supervised drug Consumption Sites. This case is the subject of a book, currently under contract with the University of Minnesota Press.
Schedule of Events, Friday November 8, 2024:
- A Friday Afternoon Address by Prof Eugene McCann (PhD Alum 1998), Simon Fraser University, W.T. Young Library, Alumni Gallery, University of Kentucky at 3:00pm.
- A Reception at the Bingham Davis House of the Gaines Center for the Humanities, immediately following the lecture.
Dr Eugene McCann is a Professor in the Department of Geography and an Associate Member of the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at Simon Fraser University. He received his PhD in Geography from the University of Kentucky, and his MA in Geography from Miami University. McCann is an urban geographer whose research focuses on the political struggles, strategies, practices, and negotiations that characterize urban policy-making. He has published three books: Urban Geography (Wiley-Blackwell, 2015, authored with Andrew Jonas and Mary Thomas), Cities and Social Change (Sage, 2014, edited with Ronan Paddison), and Mobile Urbanism (Minnesota, 2011, edited with Kevin Ward) and over 50 journal articles and book chapters.
Please contact the Geography Department's office for more information about joining us for the Bailey Alumni Lecture.
Past Speakers
- Carolyn Gallaher (PhD, 1998), Professor, American University [2023]
- Sarah A. Moore (PhD, 2006), Professor, University of Wisconsin [2022]
- Aretina Hamliton (PhD, 2018), Director of DEI, Brandeis University [2021]
- Mark Graham (PhD, 2008), Professor, Oxford Internet Institute [2019]
- Mary Gilmartin (PhD, 1995; MA, 2001), Professor, Maynooth University [2018]
- Edward Carr (PhD, 2002), Professor, Clark University [2017]
- Jamie Winders, Chair and Professor (PhD, 2004; BA, 1998), Syracuse University [2016]
- Vincent Del Casino, Jr. (PhD, 2000), Vice Provost and Professor, University of Arizona [2015]