Sense of Place and the Sociological Imagination

“Sense of Place and the Sociological Imagination.” The conference will include a variety of events and activities exploring the ways in which sociologists and other scholars conceptualize and utilize “place” in their theories, methods and analyses.

Submissions for the A-MSA meeting are invited on all topics, with formats including paper presentations, posters, panels and workshops.

Paper, poster, panel and workshop abstracts should be submitted through the A-MSA website (http://www.a-msa.org/) by December 15, 2009. Please include the title of the presentation, type of presentation, author names and affiliations, and an abstract (maximum of 300 words).

 The Program Chair for the 2010 meeting is Deborah Moore, Director of Delta State University’s Center for Community and Economic Development.

 For more information about the 2010 meeting, please email amsa.dsu.2010@gmail.com.

The meeting is scheduled for February 18‐19, 2010 on the Delta State University campus in Cleveland, Mississippi.

FINAL PROGRAM

A CULTURAL ADVENTURE AT AMSA 2010!

For those people looking for a cultural adventure, the 2010 A-MSA meeting will offer the opportunity to visit Po’ Monkey’s Lounge in Merigold, MS, after the banquet on Thursday, February 18.

The following information was provided by Dr. Luther Brown, Director of the Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University.

 Po’ Monkey’s Lounge is possibly the last authentic rural jook house operating.  It is a former sharecropper shanty, owned by a white farmer on former plantation land.  It is the home of Mr. Willie Seaberry, who has worked as a field hand for this same farmer for over 50 years.  Mr. Seaberry, who calls himself Po’ Monkey, lives in one small room and operates the remainder of the building as his “club.”  It is not a business establishment or bar, but a true jook house, a combination private home and public space that has grown out of the cotton field in which it sits. It is a place of celebration and enjoyment unlike any other, and embodies the essence of the jook.  Mr. Seaberry is the consummate host who welcomes everyone to his house, and who also entertains throughout the evening in colorful style.

 We will caravan to Monkey’s on Thursday, February 18, following the banquet.  Thursday nights are “Family Nights” when Monkey features a DJ playing soul blues.  Except for us, the crowd will be made up largely of local regulars.  Admission is $5 at the door.

 To find out more about Po’ Monkey’s Lounge, visit the following websites:

 http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=4598823 

 http://www.southernspaces.org/contents/2006/brown/1a.htm

Revised Lodging Options and Costs!

Make your hotel reservations for the 2010 A-MSA meeting in Cleveland, MS.

The following hotels are recommended. Rooms have been blocked specifically for the A-MSA meeting. The rooms are available for booking until January 15, 2010. However, space is limited, so make your reservations soon. To reserve your room, mention your affiliation with the Delta State University / A-MSA meeting.

Econolodge ($49 per night for non-smoking doubles)d, MS 38732
(662) 843-4060