Call for Papers Who was running the cities? Elites and urban power structures, 1700-2000

It is notoriously difficult to understand the distribution of political power in modern cities. Especially with the rise of broad political participation in the course of the nineteenth century, the question if and how elites retained influence on municipal government is not easily answered. How do we get to an adequate understanding of the relationship between elites and „power" in cities? In order to come to workable answers, two fields of research, which often have remained separate, need to be brought together: The (social) history of elites and the (political) history of power resources and decision-making. Four specific fields of inquiry can then structure research on the question: Who Ruled the Cities?"

It is easy to assume that there existed a "natural" relationship between elites and power, guiding urban decision-making and determining its outcome. Wealth and education (the major forms of "capital" controlled by elites) was concentrated in the hands of a small group. But was political power similarly concentrated or was it distributed more broadly among the whole spectrum of the urban population? What if the economic, social and cultural elite was secluded from political decision-making and decisively not identical with the political elite? Were philanthropy, educational attainment, and support for the arts a way to exert influence without controlling political institutions? Did economic, social and political change strengthen the power of established elites or did it generate new elites who challenged those who had inherited wealth and position? What about the power of working-class movements and their influence on municipal governments and the thinking of elites? Did their reciprocal perception significantly change political culture?

To answer these questions the session will welcome case studies about decisions and the process of decision-making in modern cities throughout the world. We are also interested in examinations of more „structural" aspects, such as the role of coalition-building among various groups, classes, elites etc. and their ability to dominate councils, boards and administrations. The session should encourage researchers to challenge common perceptions of a monolithic elite and to replace such perceptions with a more complicated view of urban power as interplay between various economic, social, political and cultural elites. To contribute to this complex account of cities, elites, and power, the session aims to bring together different methodological approaches, exploring commonalties as well as variations across national borders.

To find our more about the conference, go to
http://www.le.ac.uk/urbanhist/urbanconf/index.html.

If you are interested in presenting a paper at this session of the International Conference of Urban History, please submit a proposal and a c.v. by September 15, 2001 to:

Sven Beckert
Harvard University
Department of History
210 Robinson Hall
Cambridge, MA 02138
E-Mail: beckert@fas.harvard.edu

Marcus Gräser
Zentrum für Nord-Amerika Forschung an der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität
Frankfurt am Main
Postfach 11 19 32
D-60054 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
E-Mail: M.Graeser@em.uni-frankfurt.de

Ralf Roth
Historisches Seminar der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität
Frankfurt am Main
Grüneburgplatz 1
D- 60323 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
E-Mail: RalfRoth1@compuserve.com