Call for Papers Aging in Relations – Patterns, Practices, Materiality 26.-28. February 2015 Institute of Volkskunde/Cultural Anthropology, University of Hamburg Age and Aging can not only be defined biologically as a stage of life course they rather have to be understood as social practice and part of cultural patterns. From a cultural anthropological perspective this means that aging is a process based on the practices of a multitude of actors and is socially constructed. This praxeological perspective of doing age broadens the theoretical and empirical scope of analyzing the intersections of the cultural, social and biological dimensions of aging. To describe and analyze these intersections we take a closer look at the relationships of and in experiences of age and aging in their different contexts. We seek answers how representations, imaginations and conceptions of aging become visible in social practices and symbolic patterns and how they are manifested in material culture. To answer these questions we welcome presentations that take different approaches – historical, empirical and discursive – to patterns, practices or materiality of age and aging. The conference „Aging in Relations” aims at starting a dialogue between cultural sciences arguing the capacity and scope of research perspective on age and aging in cultural anthropology and folklore research. For this reason we invite you to submit abstracts from different cultural disciplines. The following questions can be used as a guideline, but topics are not limited to them. PATTERNS OF AGING - Which historical dimensions underlie our cultural understanding of aging? - Which role plays gender in the social and cultural relations of aging? - How can the politics of aging be described cultural anthropologically? - How does the ideology of active and at least successful aging influence the cultural patterns of aging? Which subversive reactions can be observed? PRACTICES OF AGING - How do age and aging become visible in social practices and can be described as doing age? What are the methodological circumstances for such an approach? - Which regimes of aging are powerful and how do they influence the practices of the (aging) actors? - Which relevance do emotional practices have, especially when we think of the vulnerability of the old age? - How does the interplay of health and illness, autonomy and care, resilience and vulnerability influence aging? - How do regimes of aging marginalize or exclude aging subjects? MATERIALITY OF AGING - How is aging inscribed into things? - How can an approach towards a material culture of aging look like? - Which role do space and time play? - How do materiality, time and memory relate to each other? - Is there an age-specific knowledge that becomes visible in materiality? - What about age-specific life styles and their material representations? We invite you to submit abstracts (max. 350 words) to [email protected] until 30.09.2014. The document (PDF) should additionally include short biographical information of the applicant. We will inform you whether your abstract has been accepted by 30.10.2014. A publication is planned. If you have any questions concerning the conference or your proposal please contact Cordula Endter ([email protected]). DEADLINES CFP-Deadline: 30.09.2014 Notification of Acceptance: 30.10.2014 Conference: 26.-28.02.2015 PROGRAMM Sabine Kienitz ([email protected]) Cordula Endter ([email protected])
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 09:00:48 +0000