Call for Abstracts | Deadline for Abstracts – 31 Jan 2018

A symposium: “The role of housing in China`s social transformation”

Organisers
Professor Ngai Ming YIP, City University of Hong Kong (sayip@cityu.edu.hk )
Professor Jie Chen, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SHUFE)(chen.jie@mail.shufe.edu.cn)
Professor Ray Forrest, Lingnan University, Hong Kong (rayforrest@ln.edu.hk )

Date: 25-26 June 2018 (Monday-Tuesday)
Venue: Hong Kong (exact venue to be announced)

Full or partial financial support on travelling and lodging is possible.

Background and Objectives of the Symposium
The rapid development of China over the last few decades has triggered fundamental changes in many aspects of social and economic lives. Housing is perhaps one domain where changes have been the most intense and impacts most far-reaching. Yet land and housing policy have been highly skewed towards homeownership and the real estate interests. Rapid increase in house prices inevitably exacerbates the already worsening gap in income, wealth and housing quality between households who have bought their home and those who rent

Recent economic and social development has generated further uncertainty to future development. Economic growth has slowed down, but local governments are dependent on revenue from land lease premium ever than before. This maintains a constant upward pressure on house prices in most cities despite the price levels already being beyond the reach of most households. Worsening housing affordability exacerbates frustration among middle class households and young professionals who have not bought their home.

At the same time, the society has grown more unstable with “collective incidences” in sharp increases. This compels the state to take up larger responsibility in social programmes and public housing programmes will be further expanded. Realistic modes of public housing finance are being developed to make public housing construction sustainable. More important of all is an unequivocal signal of balancing the bias towards homeownership as the “only” ideal permanent tenure and privileges that only homeowners can enjoy will gradually be phased out and both public and private renting will be promoted.
It is in this context that this symposium would attempt to critically evaluate the role of housing in the urban transformation of China – in what ways housing has impacted on the dramatic changes which have affected Chinese cities and the life experience of urban dwellers in China; and conversely, how changes in the way housing is consumed, represented, financed and experienced reflects broader transformations in Chinese society. Equally important is a consideration of how theories are able to offer useful analytic lens in understanding the observed housing phenomenon and whether such theories are “biased” by experience from the global north and need to be modified or refined? Likewise, recent economic and social changes, and in particularly the new policy initiatives, may signify important cornerstone of housing development.

To enrich the range of issues and academic disciplines that can be included in the special issue, the papers may focus on (but are not limited to) the following issues:

l  The development of mortgage market and housing finance system in China; the financialization of the Chinese housing System; the impacts of the evolutions of housing system in China’s social transformation

l  Housing as asset and investment; the role of housing commoditization in economic growth.

l  Social stratification and tenure change; segregation and inclusion; housing, identity and class, migrant worker housing demand and market/policy responses.

l  Housing development, housing policy and their connection to urbanization / suburbanization, urban development and area renewal in China

l  Housing affordability, extreme housing deprivation in cities, public housing and welfare system in China

l  The changing driving forces of tenure choice and housing choice and their connections with China’s social transformation

l  Housing activism, homeowner associations, gated neighborhoods, NIMBY and other housing issues that affect the Chinese political agenda

l  Theoretical debate on post-socialism in cities, welfare regimes and comparative housing.

The symposium would aim to attract authors from a range of disciplines from across the social sciences (and may also reach into the arts and humanities). New researchers are particularly welcome.

To enhance a more focused engagement with the subject issues, the symposium does not intend to take on issues concerning Chinese investment in international housing markets. Yet we welcome papers that have a strong conceptual and theoretical contribution to the study of housing in social change in China and particularly on a critical review on the application of “western” theories to the case of China or papers with a strong comparative angle. Papers that are invited to the symposium should also include the link between housing and social transformation and/or new housing initiatives.

The editorial board of Housing Studies (SSCI, 2016 impact factor 1.513) has endorsed our proposal for a special issue on housing and social change in China (title to be finalised) and the majority of papers in the special issue will be selected from papers that are presented in the symposium.

Practical issues
The deadline of abstract submission is 31 Jan, 2018. The symposium organizers will jointly review all the abstract submissions and send out the notice of paper selection result to the authors by the end of February, 2018. Full paper is expected by May 30, 2018.

Only 12-15 papers will be invited to attend the symposium and we will ensure that there is ample chance for in-depth discussion and ideas exchange during the symposium. Virtual presentation can be arranged. No fee is charged for the symposium and financial support on travelling and/or lodging is possible upon request, especially for new researchers.

Abstract Submission
To submit an abstract (max 300 words), please access google form here (preferred).

or complete the form below and attach the abstract in the email to any of the organisers.

Professor Ngai Ming YIP, City University of Hong Kong (sayip@cityu.edu.hk )

Professor Jie Chen, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SHUFE)(chen.jie@mail.shufe.edu.cn)

Professor Ray Forrest, Lingnan University, Hong Kong (rayforrest@ln.edu.hk )

Paper Information
Title of paper -
First author’s Name -
First author’s Affiliation -
First author’s Title -
First author’s Email -
Second author’s Name -
Second author’s Affiliation -
Second author’s Title -
Second author’s Email-
Third author’s Name-
Third author’s Affiliation-
Third author’s Title-
Third author’s Email-
Other author(s)-
Corresponding author - First / second / third / other (author)
Who will be the presenter if the paper is selected - First / second / third / other (author)
Is the presenter a PhD student or a new researcher who graduated from PhD for less than three years PhD. _New Researcher _NA __
Financial needs* A. /  B  / C  / D (refer to the option below)

Abstract (max 300 words) (please attached to the email)
Key words(max 5)

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2.

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5.
 
*We may be able to offer financial support for one author per paper.
A) Yes, I need full financial support (travelling and Lodging)
B) Yes, I need partial financial support (travelling)
C) Yes, I need partial financial support (lodging)
D) No, I can fund myself

Please direct further queries on the symposium to the organizers.