Call for Conference papers:

Agapic Behavior as an Interpretive Key for Social Sciences

Castelgandolfo (Rome), 17-18 January 2011

The changes that have taken place in these last decades have imposed the need for further elaboration of social theory. In this context, sociological reflection has introduced the concept of agape, variously formulated, as a possible interpretation of social contexts that often escape traditional analytical models, up to now elaborated by scientific schools of thought.

For example, recent theories on recognition, such as that of Axel Honneth, successor of the School of Frankfurt , introduce the concept of love as a possible form of analysis for the processes of formation of subjectivity in late modernity. In the French tradition, the theme of agape is an element of Luc Boltanski’s reflection on contemporary society.

Authors of the stature of Baumann, Giddens, Hoechscild, Luhmann and Touraine have dedicated their work, implicitly and explicitly, to the theme of love as the concept capable of interpreting the bonds that characterize society, on which is based also Social-One’s reflection (www.social-one.org).

The objective of this conference is to  bring together international experts, scholars, researchers, doctoral candidates and sociology and social work students  who, in an interdisciplinary approach, can offer empirical research and theoretical, epistemological, methodological, technical and pragmatic reflections on the concept of agape. The research can involve both qualitative and quantitative techniques and the interpretations can refer to the different paradigms in the social sciences.  The focal themes of these reflections could  possibly be on:

• The formation of one’s personal identity and subjectivity
• Intercultural relations
• Political participation and political power
• Production, distribution and consumption of goods
• Work relations and production relations
• Artistic creation, communication, the mass and net-media
• The care and responsibility of persons and social services
• The dynamics of social groups.

How to propose a paper

You are invited to send to the curators of this initiative (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), by 20 September 2010, an abstract in Italian and/or in English that contains a detailed proposal for a theoretical or empirical paper. The abstract for the paper should contain no more than 700 - 1000 words.

It should also present in a clear manner:

• the objectives
• the current debates and the theoretical framework
• the hypothesis that it intends to present
• a brief bibliography (the most important titles of reference).

The bibliography does not enter into the total word count.

You will be contacted on the assessment and acceptance of the abstracts by 20 November 2010.

Complete papers should be sent by 22 December 2010.

Scientific Committee:

Araújo Vera, Social-one
Callebaut Bernard, Angelicum University - Rome
Colasanto Michele, Cattolica University – Milan
Di Nicola Giulia Paola, University of Chieti
Gasparini Giovanni, Catholic University – Milan
Iorio Gennaro, University of Salerno
Leonora Anna Maria, University of Catania
Magatti Mauro, Catholic University – Milan
Matos Emanuel, University of Belem - Brazil
Mora Emanuela, Catholic University – Milan
Morovic Jan, Former Professor at the Catholic University of Ruzomberok (Katolicka Univerzita v Ruzomberku - Slovakia)
Neve Elisabetta, University of Padua and Verona, collaborates with the Zancan Foundation
Vecchiato Tiziano, Zancan Foundation