Biographic, Narrative and Lifecourse Research Group (BNLR) of the Sociological Association of Ireland (SAI)
First Biennial Conference – March 2022
Call for Papers
Reimagining Voices and Identities in Uncertain Times: Social Transformation, Fragmentation and Post-Pandemic Futures
Overview
The Biographic, Narrative and Lifecourse Research Group (BNLR) of the Sociological Association of Ireland (SAI) was established in 2019 as a forum for critical discussion and debate among Irish, European and international social scientists on the multidimensionality of narrative, biographic and lifecourse inquiry, to address methodological questions and challenges and advance scholarship in these interlinking fields. Our first biennial conference engages critically with national and international biographic, narrative and lifecourse scholarship on voices in uncertain times; how voice is conceptualised, why and how some voices are accorded greater or lesser social legitimacy depending on context and how the voices of some social groups that have traditionally been marginalised from social debates, might be given more primacy in contemporary social and political debates. We are also interested in the interplay between voice and visibility, i.e. how voices may become noticeable and seize public spaces.
The Covid-19 pandemic has wrought unprecedented changes in global societies, irrevocably transforming governance and social relationships, everyday interactions, touch practices, and emotional displays. At the same time, international debates rage about climate justice, inequitable impacts of environmental degradation in majority world contexts, while major transformations take place globally and locally in how society is organised and governed. The social and cultural effects of these events on people’s lived experiences are long-lasting affecting how we talk, touch, move, and interact in private and public spaces. In contemporary society, voices are
continually repositioned and their legitimacy reimagined due to profound cultural transformation with regards to rights, freedoms, online communities, political protests and the impact of non-human actors (e.g. viruses, animals) on human worlds.
For this first biennial conference, we invite abstracts for papers and proposed conference roundtables and panels from narrative, lifecourse and biographical researchers which engage with one or more of the following themes/topics relating to voice and social transformation:
Submission of Abstracts
Abstracts for papers should be 200-250 words approximately and must also contain an indicative title, list of authors’ names, institutional affiliation and 2-3 keywords.
Proposals for individual panels, roundtables or workshops should be approximately 700 words in length and must contain a title, list of convenors, outline of the key focus, and description of workshop/panel activities (if appropriate).
Please submit all abstracts and panel/workshop proposals to bnlrgroup@gmail.com
Deadline for submissions: December 20th 2021
Authors will be notified of the outcome of their submission on/by 8th February 2022.
Call for Papers
Reimagining Voices and Identities in Uncertain Times: Social Transformation, Fragmentation and Post-Pandemic Futures
Overview
The Biographic, Narrative and Lifecourse Research Group (BNLR) of the Sociological Association of Ireland (SAI) was established in 2019 as a forum for critical discussion and debate among Irish, European and international social scientists on the multidimensionality of narrative, biographic and lifecourse inquiry, to address methodological questions and challenges and advance scholarship in these interlinking fields. Our first biennial conference engages critically with national and international biographic, narrative and lifecourse scholarship on voices in uncertain times; how voice is conceptualised, why and how some voices are accorded greater or lesser social legitimacy depending on context and how the voices of some social groups that have traditionally been marginalised from social debates, might be given more primacy in contemporary social and political debates. We are also interested in the interplay between voice and visibility, i.e. how voices may become noticeable and seize public spaces.
The Covid-19 pandemic has wrought unprecedented changes in global societies, irrevocably transforming governance and social relationships, everyday interactions, touch practices, and emotional displays. At the same time, international debates rage about climate justice, inequitable impacts of environmental degradation in majority world contexts, while major transformations take place globally and locally in how society is organised and governed. The social and cultural effects of these events on people’s lived experiences are long-lasting affecting how we talk, touch, move, and interact in private and public spaces. In contemporary society, voices are
continually repositioned and their legitimacy reimagined due to profound cultural transformation with regards to rights, freedoms, online communities, political protests and the impact of non-human actors (e.g. viruses, animals) on human worlds.
For this first biennial conference, we invite abstracts for papers and proposed conference roundtables and panels from narrative, lifecourse and biographical researchers which engage with one or more of the following themes/topics relating to voice and social transformation:
- The meaning of voice in contemporary societies; positionalities, legitimation and de-legitimation of particular voices;
- Methodological innovations, challenges and novel solutions to capturing, analysing and interpreting voices and lived experiences in times of unprecedented social and cultural transformation;
- Research with groups often considered to be ‘marginalised’ and/or ‘hard to reach’;
- Effects of recent social transformations on lived lives and everyday social experiences, including concealed and unspoken aspects of daily living;
- Interdisciplinary or Transdisciplinary research which incorporates distinctively biographic, narrative or lifecourse research focus
- Research on socially fragmented professional and working lives (e.g. working arrangements, emotions, social isolation, innovative technological responses; ‘blurred’ boundaries of professional and personal living arrangements, impacts on particular professional groups;
- Voices of young people in contemporary education systems and novel challenges of learning and teaching online;
- Societal perceptions of Covid-19, risk, trust and governance;
- Research on built space, urban/rural environments and our relationships with non-humans;
- Reflexivity and research impacts upon individual researchers and/or research teams.
Submission of Abstracts
Abstracts for papers should be 200-250 words approximately and must also contain an indicative title, list of authors’ names, institutional affiliation and 2-3 keywords.
Proposals for individual panels, roundtables or workshops should be approximately 700 words in length and must contain a title, list of convenors, outline of the key focus, and description of workshop/panel activities (if appropriate).
Please submit all abstracts and panel/workshop proposals to bnlrgroup@gmail.com
Deadline for submissions: December 20th 2021
Authors will be notified of the outcome of their submission on/by 8th February 2022.
Next Call for Study Group
As part of our initiative for the sociological community to emerge from the lockdown with renewed vitality we are opening a call for up to new Study Groups. The application form is attached here. If you would like to propose a new Study Group we would be delighted to hear from you. The requirements are that the group must hold at least one activity in the year and organise a panel for the SAI Annual Conference, and we provide funding of €500 per year to support these activities. Applications are due on 31st July 2021. We would be delighted to hear from you about this and answer any questions you have, or offer advice on your concept for the group. You can get in touch at sociology.ie@gmail.com.
To submit an application to form a new SAI Study Group, download the application form, and submit to sociology.ie@gmail.com, using the subject line 'Study Group' by July 31st 2021
| formation_of_a_new_study_group_2021_2_form.docx |
To submit a renewal application for an existing SAI Study Group, download the application form, and submit to sociology.ie@gmail.com, using the subject line 'Study Group' by July 31st 2021
| study_group_annual_report_and_renewal.docx |
Current SAI Study Groups
Our first four study groups have just been formed (Dec 2020), and are looking for interested parties to join. Please contact the convenors about this. They would be delighted to hear from you.
A Study Group is a great way to link up with other sociologists from different 3rd level Institutes with shared research interests. The SAI is able to provide a small budget to help the group organise activities, such as symposia, workshops, training sessions and so on.
If you are interested in joining an SAI Study Group please email sociology.ie@gmail.com
Our first four study groups have just been formed (Dec 2020), and are looking for interested parties to join. Please contact the convenors about this. They would be delighted to hear from you.
- The Biographical Narrative Interpretive Method, Convenor, Lisa Moran
- Pedagogy of Sociology in Professional Practice, Convenor - Aimie Brennan
- Sociologists who Count! Quantitative Methods Study Group, Convenor – Carmel Hannan
- Sociology of Harm, Violence and Social Control, Convenors – Katharina Swirak, Andrew Bray , Theresa O'Keefe
- Work, Markets and Welfare: Economic Sociology for the 21st Century, Convenor - Tom Boland
- Race and Ethnicity Study Group, Convenors - Ebun Joseph and Lucy Michael
- Sexualities and Sexual Practices in Irish Society, Convenors - Barbara Górnicka, Mark Doyle & Rebecca Plante
A Study Group is a great way to link up with other sociologists from different 3rd level Institutes with shared research interests. The SAI is able to provide a small budget to help the group organise activities, such as symposia, workshops, training sessions and so on.
If you are interested in joining an SAI Study Group please email sociology.ie@gmail.com