INTRODUCTION: MAKING SENSE OF URBAN SOCIAL CHANGE IN “UNUSUAL” CONTEXTS

• DOI: 10.12681/grsr.9566
• Publication Date: 2016-03-24T04:55:08Z
• Authors: Thomas Maloutas; Jesus Leal
• Keywords: Sense of Place

In September 2005 we organised the Urban Sociology Stream during 7th Conference of European Sociological Association in Torun (Poland).A number very interesting papers were presented on that occasion and their authors invited to participate this special issue.The scope eventually reached publication is quite broad: some discuss recent trends urban social inequality, involving immigration changing forms segregation, while others elaborate regulation modes within different welfare regimes socio-political attitudes practices contexts economic political transition.At first sight, there no rigorous thematic coherence among chosen for issue, each should be read its own right.However, are three aspects compilation make it more than sum parts:The aspect all six deal with issues situated either Eastern or Southern Europe.They refer, therefore, geographical areas outside, at borderline regions traditional core industrialised countries as well outside epicentre post-industrial socio-economic restructuring.Referring kind "semi-periphery", they have systematically been, still are, peripheral international literature.In sense, follow contribute overcoming deficit.The second most included volume stress path dependence explicitly implicitly -even though not dealing technological progress.New governance arrangements direction liberally inspired activation policies given dissimilar results Italy Finland, due long standing differences established know-how respective services;