Call for Papers and Participation

The Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER) organizes its 7th Annual International Conference on Sociology, 6-9 May 2013, Athens, Greece. The conference website is:http://www.atiner.gr/sociology.htm.

The aim of the conference is to bring together scholars and students from all areas of Sociology, Social Work and other related fields. Theoretical and empirical research papers will be considered.

The registration fee is ?300 (euro), covering access to all sessions, two lunches, coffee breaks and conference material. Special arrangements will be made with a local luxury hotel for a limited number of rooms at a special conference rate. In addition, a number of social events will be organized: A Greek night of entertainment with dinner, a special one-day cruise in the Greek islands, an archaeological tour of Athens and a one-day visit to Delphi. Details of the social program are available at http://www.atiner.gr/2013/SOC-SOC.htm

Please submit a 300-word abstract by 8 October 2012 via email, atiner@atiner.gr to: Dr. Gregory A. Katsas, Head, Sociology Research Unit, ATINER and Associate Professor, The American College of Greece-Deree College, Greece or by regular mail to: ATINER, 8 Valaoritou Street, Kolonaki, 10671 Athens, Greece. Tel. + 30 210 363 4210 Fax: + 30 210 3634-209. Please include: Title of Paper, Full Name(s), Current Position, Institutional Affiliation, an email address and at least 3 keywords that best describe the subject of your submission. Please use the abstract submitting form available at http://www.atiner.gr/2013/FORM-SOC.doc. Decisions are reached within 4 weeks.

If you want to participate without presenting a paper, i.e. organize a panel (session, mini conference), chair a session, review papers to be included in the conference proceedings or books, contribute to the editing of a book, or any other contribution, please send an email to Dr. Gregory T. Papanikos, President, ATINER ( gtp@atiner.gr).

The Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER) was established in 1995 as an independent academic association with the mission to become a forum, where academics and researchers – from all over the world – could meet in Athens and exchange ideas on their research and discuss the future developments of their discipline. Since 1995, ATINER has organized about 200 international conferences and events. It has also published about 150 books. Academically, the Institute consists of four research divisions and twenty research units. Each research unit organizes at least an annual conference and undertakes various small and large research projects. Academics and researchers are more than welcome to become members and contribute to ATINER`s objectives. Members can undertake a number of academic activities.

The Third ISA Conference of the Council of National Associations will be held at the Middle East Technical University (META) in Ankara, Turkey (May, 12-17, 2013). The conference will be organized jointly by the ISA with the Department of Sociology, METU; Turkish Social Sciences Association and Sociological Association of Turkey.

The theme of the conference will be “Sociology in Times of Turmoil: Comparative Approaches.” Each National Association that is a regular collective member of the ISA is expected to send a representative who is the author or co-author of a paper connected in some way to the theme. Keep in mind that in the case of co-authored papers only one author can be the funded representative.

In order to obtain funds for the travel and living expenses of representatives from B and C countries as well as living expenses of representatives from A countries, we require submission of preliminary titles and authors (with positions and affiliations) as soon as possible and no later than JUNE 1st, 2012. Send the requested information by email to:

Tina Uys, cnaconference2013@gmail.com and
Izabela Barlinska isa@isa-sociology.org

We will need the abstract of the paper by OCTOBER 31st, 2012 and a final paper by MARCH 15th, 2013.

Theme
The past three decades have been characterised by dramatic changes around the globe. At least three such dimensions can be identified. The first is primarily economic and involves the world-wide expansion of capitalism as a result of the growing integration of national economies into a global market and a predominance of economic liberalisation. The second dimension is political in nature and refers to popular revolts, demanding democratic reforms in the context of transitions from colonial/ communist/ autocratic/ authoritarian regimes. The third dimension is social in nature and relates to policies and movements that attempt to transform unequal social relations, inherited from the past.

With the increased pace of globalization, the world has become a smaller place with changes taking place in one part of the world having ripple effects elsewhere. While the epicentre of the economic meltdown in 2008 was located in Europe and the USA, the rest of the world did not escape its effects even if the effects were less severe and were felt somewhat later. Other disasters have had significant global effects. For instance, the tsunami and the resulting nuclear disaster in Japan led to a reconsideration of the use of nuclear power in other regions of the world. New social movements addressing the problems and issues surrounding social values and social identities, such as the environmental and anti-nuclear power movements, also have become more prevalent.

The focus of our conference is on exploring ways in which sociologists deal with or respond to different forms of turmoil taking place in different parts of the world. Since its earliest history, sociology has responded to a wide range of social and societal challenges. The conference aims to approach these challenges by emphasizing the concrete practices and experiences of different countries, rather than seeking to make broad normative statements. While some papers could analyse concrete cases of upheaval, protests, change or repression in particular countries or regions, others could pay attention to the impact of events on the discipline itself, its methods, theories or institutional form in universities. Therefore it is not expected that a particular paper makes comparisons between countries or regions, although that possibility is not excluded. Comparisons will be achieved through the combined presentations of the delegates at the conference.

Reminder of Deadlines
Submission of preliminary titles and authors (with positions and affiliations) as soon as possible and not later than June 1st, 2012
Submission of abstract for the paper by October 31st, 2012
Submission of final paper no later than March 15th, 2013

We are looking forward to receiving your submissions and seeing all of you in Ankara in 2013.

Tina Uys
ISA Vice-President for National Associations
cnaconference2013@gmail.com
May 9, 2012

European labour markets, companies, social partners, face significant changes that appear to require innovation and ambitious answers, experimentation and courage. In the context of crisis the quality of work is not the first place on the European agenda. However, the question of creating new and better jobs remains a priority of the European Employment Strategy. But are new jobs better jobs? Achieving the “Europe 2020” strategy objectives related to employment and better jobs, means commitment and participation of all stakeholders. But how? What could be done by whom? Are there practices that could inspire across boundaries, regions, sectors, companies? These are questions whose answers seek the European comparative project WAQLING (http://www.walqing.eu).

The main aim of WALQING is to increase researchers’, stakeholders’, managers’ and policymakers’ knowledge of the quality of work and life in new and growing jobs. It helps to build actors’ capacity to identify both problematic and good practices of market developments, policies and company strategies in Europe. In order to address quality of work in the context of the European experiences, the Bulgarian team of WALQING will host an international conference on stakeholders’ strategies and institutional policies in improving quality of work.

As organisers we look forward to interesting and rich debates. We hope that this conference will bring together academics and practitioners from all perspectives, from Bulgaria and different European countries, in order to better understand the scope of actions and successful exchange of approaches at the level of organisation and at the level of sectors. The conference will take place on the 18th and 19th of October 2012 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Institute for the Study of Societies and Knowledge, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

This Call for papers invites original academic and actor contributions on one or more of the following five core themes:
 Legal law changes and impacts, policy implications and open discussions.
 What do employers do? Employers’ initiatives at company or sectoral level.
 What do trade unions do? Addressing quality of work? Measuring quality of work and benchmarking in Europe.
 Company level best practices and transfers conditions?
 Employees and quality of work. Challenges, losses and gains.

The working languages of the conference are English and Bulgarian. Simultaneous translation is provided.
The deadline for submission of abstracts in English (up to 500 words) is June 15th, 2012. They must be sent to Darina Peycheva, at dpeicheva@gmail.com
Authors of selected abstracts will be informed by the 10th of July 2012. Full papers in English or in Bulgarian are expected by 15th of September 2012.
Scientific Committee: Vassil Kirov (ISSK, BAS, Bulgaria), Rumiana Stoilova (ISSK, BAS, Bulgaria), Ursula Holtgrewe (Forba, Austria), Stephen Bouquin (University of Evry, France), Monique Ramioul (HIVA-KU Leuven, Belgium), Tania Chavdarova (Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Bulgaria), Georgia Petraki (Panteon University, Greece)
Organisation Committee: Vassil Kirov (ISSK, BAS, Bulgaria), Ekaterina Markova (ISSK, BAS, Bulgaria), Darina Peycheva (ISSK, BAS, Bulgaria), Diana Nenkova (ISSK, BAS, Bulgaria)

Power & Difference
3rd International Conference
Tampere, Finland
27–29 August 2012

Call for Papers

Inspired by the great success of the Second International Conference on Power & Knowledge held on 6-8 September 2010, we carry on probing questions of power. This year the conference will concentrate on linkages between power and difference.

Keynote speakers will include:

Lisa Adkins, University of Newcastle, Australia Leena Alanen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland Karen Armstrong, University of Helsinki, Finland Colin Bennett, University of Victoria, Canada Laura Huttunen, University of Tampere, Finland Jan Nederveen Pieterse, University of California Santa Barbara, USA Göran Therborn, University of Cambridge, UK George Thomas, Arizona State University, USA

The programme contains a large variety of sessions ranging from childhood studies to global governance and economy.

For the list of sessions, please go to
http://www.uta.fi/yky/power2012/sessions/index.html.

To propose a paper, please submit an abstract (150–200 words) through the conference management system athttp://www.paredix.com/ocs/index.php/Power2012/conf/login/ on 15 June 2012 at the latest.

For more information on the conference, please go to http://www.uta.fi/power2012/.

Welcome to Tampere!

Pertti Alasuutari
Academy Professor
Chair of the Organizing Committee
University of Tampere, Finland

—
Marjukka Virkajarvi
Research Secretary
Work Research Centre
FI-33014 UNIVERSITY OF TAMPERE
FINLAND
Tel: +358 (0)3 3551 7137
E-mail: marjukka.virkajarvi@uta.fi
http://www.uta.fi/tyoelama
http://www.uta.fi/tyoelamantutkimuspaivat