+++ APOLOGIES FOR CROSS-POSTING +++
Second Call for Papers / for Symposia
International Sociological Association (ISA) - RC-11 Sociology of Ageing
“Diversities of Ageing: Discourses and Debates”
First ISA Forum of Sociology
”Sociological Research and Public Debate”
Barcelona, Spain
September 5 - 8, 2008
Demographic ageing and its consequences for our ageing societies and the
people living in them have become popular themes of policy reform, public
debate, and even TV talk shows. Population ageing has indeed become a global
phenomenon – almost all societies worldwide are affected by changes of their
population structures, with a decreasing share of younger people and a
growing proportion of older people living in them. This change has
implications for our future societies: Fewer younger people mean fewer
children and grandchildren, fewer family members and nurses looking after
older people in need of care, fewer young workers in the workplace, they may
mean fewer people paying social insurance contributions and taxes, fewer
people using schools and universities, etc. More older people imply greater
numbers of older voters, older consumers, grandparents and
great-grandparents, older workers in the workplace, they may mean more older
people having to pay taxes and social insurance contributions, having to
live in poverty and being socially excluded, or studying at university when
others retire, etc.
Demographic change is not necessarily apocalyptic or catastrophic for
individuals, societies and their social systems – it means a changing
balance between older and younger people in society and the challenge of
finding new ways of dealing with each other, of communicating between the
generations, of supporting each other, of social inclusion and integration.
Ageing can become a risk factor – or an opportunity for realising new
potentials. Population ageing also implies changes in international
relations, with older societies ‘importing’ younger care workers, who in
turn leave behind family members in need of care, or attracting younger
workers from disadvantaged regions of the world seeking new opportunities.
Furthermore, increasingly individualised life courses, even more so in a
globalised world, mean growing “diversities of ageing” – and more diversity
in “discourses and debates” about ageing.
RC11 ‘Sociology of Ageing’ wants to provide a platform for these discourses
and debates on the diversity of ageing. Therefore, we invite abstracts for
papers and abstracts for symposia on any of the topics outlined above or any
other topic related to the RC11 Programme theme “Diversities of Ageing:
Discourses and Debates”. Papers with a cross-national, comparative focus and
papers by researchers earlier in their career are particularly welcomed.
Papers may be presented orally or as a poster. This call for papers has a
deadline for receipt of abstracts by 16 November 2007.
Abstracts of a maximum of 200 words should be sent to:
Andreas Hoff, Chair of the Programme Committee, Oxford Institute of Ageing,
University of Oxford, at [log in to unmask] .
Abstracts MUST include:
• Name(s) and affiliation(s) of the author(s)
• Contact details of presenting author (postal address, telephone, fax + email)
• Title of the proposed presentation
• Indicate whether an oral paper or poster presentation
Please note that individuals should not be the first author (the presenter)
of more than one paper. Details on programme information, academic sessions
and general information can be found at the following website, which is
regularly updated:
http://www.isa-sociology.org/barcelona_2008/rc/rc11.htm
Members of the RC11 Programme Committee: Susan Feldman, Monash University,
Australia; Andreas Hoff, University of Oxford, UK (Chair); Virpi Timonen,
Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Lucie Vidovicova, Masaryk University, Czech
Republic; and Feliciano Villar, University of Barcelona, Spain.
|