Call for Papers The Decline of the Middle Classes Around the World? Segovia, Spain September 28–30, 2014

New Location, Additional Topics,

and

Deadline Extended

Call for Papers

The Decline of the Middle Classes

Around the World?

Segovia, Spain

September 28–30, 2014

Conference website

Because of the large number of submissions and in order to provide a more congenial atmosphere for scholarly discussions, we have moved the location of the conference to Segovia (about 25 minutes outside of Madrid by high-speed train).

In the wake of the 2008/2009 financial crisis have come increasing concerns that we may be witnessing the decline of the middle classes around the world. The forces underlying this uneasiness, of course, were at work before the crisis, but it seems to have hastened and aggravated their impact. Is the decades-long period of relative middle-class affluence at an end? Or will current difficulties pass as national economies strengthen?

In order to explore these and related issues, the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), the University of Maryland School of Public Policy (UMD), and the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) will hold a conference in Segovia, Spain, September 29–30, 2014. (An opening reception will take place the evening of September 28.) 

The conference is designed to attract a worldwide audience, including academics and professionals from universities, think tanks, government agencies, nonprofits, and the private sector. Paper and panel submissions are welcomed on:

• the social and economic condition of the middle class in individual or groups of countries (including trends over time),

and on the contributing and countering factors, including:

• macroeconomic policy;
• labor market conditions;
• family structure;
• work/family issues;
• demographics (such as aging and disability);
• immigration and migration;
• government cash transfer programs;
• social welfare; and
• workforce development efforts (including remedial education programs, such as basic, secondary, post school and career-related education; and higher education).

As a result of moving the conference to Segovia, we have increased space to expand the conference topics. If you have a proposal on any of the following topics below, please submit them in the APPAM proposal system under the “Other” category:

• unemployment benefits;
• minimum wage policies;
• education;
• health;
• housing;
• pensions;
• disability; and
• public safety/criminal justice.

In addition, because we have more space, there will also be a separate, Spanish-language track of panels.

Proposals should be submitted through the APPAM website here from January 23, 2014 through April 11, 2014. Proposal reviews will be completed by May 16, 2014 and notifications will be sent directly thereafter. If a proposal is accepted, the presenter will need to register for the conference in order to participate (see “registration” below).

A person may submit no more than two proposals (including both single-authored and co-authored papers). Individuals will be limited to two acceptances (at least one of which must be multi-authored) and only one opportunity to present at the conference.

Keynote speaker:

Amitai Etzioni, University Professor and Professor of International Affairs; Director, Institute for Communitarian Policy Studies, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University.

Program cochairs:

Prof. Antonio López Peláez Department of Social Work, Faculty of Law, National Distance Education University (UNED) Director of the University Center of UNED at Segovia Editor, Comunitania: International Journal of Social Work and Social Science

Prof. Douglas J. Besharov School of Public Policy, University of Maryland Chair, International Activities Committee, Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management Coeditor, International Policy Exchange Series, Oxford University Press

Program committee:

Sandra Archibald, dean, Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington;

Andrés Arias Astray, vice-chancellor of institutional relationships and international relationships, Universidad Complutense de Madrid;

Richard Burkhauser, professor, Department of Policy Analysis and Management, Cornell University;

Kenneth Couch, professor, Department of Economics, University of Connecticut; editor-designate, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management;

Angela Evans, professor, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas; president, Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management;

Jorge M. L. Ferreira, professor, Political Science and Public Policy Department, University Institute of Lisbon; executive editor, Intervençao Social;

Neil Gilbert, professor, School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley;

Mercedes Gómez Adanero, dean, Faculty of Law, UNED;

David Johnson, chief, Social, Economic and Housing Statistics Division, U.S. Census Bureau;

Robert Lerman, professor, Department of Economics, American University; institute fellow, Urban Institute;

Samuel Myers, Jr., professor, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota;

Enrique Pastor, dean, Faculty of Social Work, Universidad de Murcia; executive editor, Azarbe: Revista Internacional de Trabajo Social y Ciencias Sociales;

Sagrario Segado Sánchez-Cabezudo, director, Gregorio Marañon Center, UNED; Department of Social Work, Faculty of Law, National Distance Education University (UNED);

Katherine Swartz, professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Harvard University;

José Felix Tezanos Tortajada, professor and director, Department of Sociology III, Faculty of Political Sciences and Sociology, UNED; executive editor, Sistema: Revista de Ciencias Sociales; and

David Weimer, professor, Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin.

Proposal submissions: The deadline for submissions is April 11, 2014. Decisions will be announced around May 16, 2014.

Post-conference publication: Papers from the conference will be considered for publication in the Oxford University Press International Policy Exchange Series.

In addition, all relevant conference papers may be submitted for consideration to the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. 

Language: English will be the official language of the conference. Abstracts, papers, and presentations are expected to be delivered in English or Spanish. As mentioned above, there will be a separate, Spanish language track of panels. Questions concerning Spanish-language submissions should be directed to Hilda Lobo of UNED here. 

Conference registration: Early registration for the conference will begin on February 17, 2014 and will continue until July 15, 2014. Regular registration will begin on July 16, 2014 and will continue until September 9, 2014. There will also be on-site registration for the conference. Please see the table below for registration costs. Instructions for registering can be found at the APPAM website here.

Category	Early registration (by July 15)	Regular registration(by September 9)	On-Siteregistration
Student Members of APPAM	$300	$400	$450
APPAM Members	$400	$500	$550
All Others	$450	$550	$600

Conference schedule: An opening reception for all registrants will be held on the evening of September 28. There will be an optional dinner for program participants on September 29. There will be a separate charge for the dinner: $50 for early registrants and $65 for regular and on-site registrants (payment for the dinner can be made at registration). Coffee and light lunches will be provided during the conference.

Hotels: Hotel information will be made available at the conference website after April 15 here.

Side trips: Two side trips are being planned for the conference: a city tour of Segovia and a guided tour of the Royal Palace Gardens. More information about these trips will be available at the conference website after April 15 here.

For questions about abstract submissions and registration, please contact Jocelyn Mason of APPAM here.

For other non-registration questions, please contact Fernando García-Durán Sicilia of UNED here. 

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