 |
 |
To: Members of the INTERNATIONAL SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION From: ISA Research Committee for the Study of Alienation Theory and Research (RC36) Re: INTERIM REGIONAL SEMINAR ON “RESEARCHING ALIENATION IN THE LIGHT OF GLOBALIZATION” In Conjunction with the 34th World Congress of the International Institute of Sociology Dates: July 11-15, 1999 Venue: Tel Aviv, Israel CALL FOR PAPERS Deadline for submission of Titles and Presenters: October 15, 1998 Deadline for submission of Abstracts: November 15, 1998 The conceptualization of alienation has undergone interesting changes in the last decade. While philosophers continue to investigate the inner significance of the construct of alienation, many researchers have focused on explorations of Marxist theory, attempting to draw conclusions about how to describe conditions of alienation in contrast to conditions of de- alienation, or liberation. Others have followed the lead of empiricists, formulating and adapting measures for locating alienation in responses to pen and pencil tests, in discourse, and in behavior. The development of globalization sets new challenges for social scientists. In a world linked by presumably irrevocable economic ties and political interests, which stretch across continents and oceans, the appropriateness of thinking in terms of alienation has to be re-examined. Variations in objective alienation as a function of different kinds of social order is one pole of interest. At the other pole, there is the variability of the social psychological and psycho-analytic evidence of alienation. A sociological understanding of the ways in which theories of alienation help us to grasp structure and process necessarily has implications for political action on every level of analysis. The central theme of the seminar will be : RESEARCHING ALIENATION IN THE LIGHT OF GLOBALIZATION Suggested Topics: Local vs. Global alienation Regionalism and alienation Globalized virtual realities and alienation Race and alienation Gender and alienation Alienation and the new religions The practical economics of alienation The alienation of labor The significance of alienation under conditions of dependency Alienation and the state Alienation and new forms of organization Culture and alienation We are particularly interested in comparative papers. However, case studies of phenomena of alienation in delimited areas will provide a basis for comparative discussions in the course of the conference. We invite scholars involved in the study of related themes to submit abstracts (ca. 300 words) to the organizer: Dr. Devorah Kalekin-Fishman President, RC36 Faculty of Education University of Haifa Haifa, Israel 31905 Tel: +972-4-8642032 Fax: +972-4-8240911 e-mail: [log in to unmask] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%