Call for Abstracts (with attachments! Apologies)
And apologies for cross posting, once again.

Biographical Perspectives on European Societies Research Network, The
7th ESA Conference, 9 - 12 September 2005 in Torun, Poland

This is the first call for abstracts for the 7th ESA conference in
Torun, Poland. The general theme for the ESA conference will be
'Rethinking Inequalities'. Further information about the conference
theme can be found
here: http://www.valt.helsinki.fi/esa/newslet5.pdf . Please bear this
theme in mind when writing your abstract, but please feel free to
suggest other, even unrelated, abstracts if you think they might
generate interest.

There will be ten sessions organised by the Research Network, each with
its own convenor. A session will last for two hours, which will allow
for between 4-6 papers, on average. The session topics and convenors
are:

1. THE PROBLEM OF GENERALIZING FROM BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
Feiwel Kupferberg
The Danish University of Education, Copenhagen, Denmark: [log in to unmask]

2. DOING BIOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH IN POST-SOVIET SOCIETIES
Aili Aarelaid-Tart,
Tallinn Pedagogical University, Estonia: [log in to unmask] and Janusz
Mucha Nicolaus Copernicus University, Poland: [log in to unmask]

3. BIOGRAPHY, MEMORY AND TIME
Brian Roberts
Huddersfield University, UK: [log in to unmask]

4. HEALTH, ILLNESS AND BIOGRAPHY
Jens Zinn
University of Kent, UK: [log in to unmask]

5 A BIOGRAPHICAL APPROACH TO INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS Rachel
Thomson, Mary Jane Kehily, Julia Brannen, and Harriet Bjerrum Nielesn
The Open University, UK: [log in to unmask]

6 THE USE OF VISUAL MATERIAL IN BIOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH
Robert Miller
Queen's University, Belfast: [log in to unmask]

7 BIOGRAPHY AND LIFE POLITICS
JP ROOS
University of Helsinki: [log in to unmask]

8 BIOGRAPHY AND RELIGION
Irena Borowik
Jagiellonian University, Poland [log in to unmask]

9 BIOGRAPHICAL (UN-)CERTAINTIES AND SOCIAL INEQUALITIES
Jens Zinn
University of Kent, UK: [log in to unmask]

10 THE PROBLEMS OF DEALING WITH CONCEPTS IN BIOGRAPHIES
Wiebke Lohfeld
Bates College, Marine, USA: [log in to unmask]

More details of the sessions are attached. Also attached is an abstract
proposal form, which you should use when submitting your abstract.

IMPORTANT: Abstracts should be submitted before the 28th of February
2005. As the deadline for submitting the final programme to the
conference organisers is the 31st of March 2005, no proposals received
after the end of February will be taken into consideration.

Please email a 200-word abstract in English to the Research Network
organisers (Robin Humphrey and Stephen Macdonald) and the convenor of
the session. Make sure to include the proposed paper's title, the
author(s)'s name, institutional affiliation (both university and
department), mailing address, email address, fax and phone number.
Please DO NOT send your abstract to the local conference organisers.
Decisions about whether the abstract has been accepted will be
communicated no later than 31 March 2005.

The Research Network is also hoping to organise a debate between Daniel
Bertaux and Liz Stanley on 'What does the biographical approach
contribute to the development of Sociology?'

We look forward to a stimulating conference!

With best wishes

Robin Humphrey and Stephen Macdonald
For the Biographical Perspectives on European Societies Research
Network, Newcastle University, UK