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CALL FOR CONFERENCE PAPERS-Social Sciences and the COVID-19 Pandemic – State of Knowledge and Proposals for Action
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On 12 March 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared the spread of COVID-19 infection as a ‘pandemic’, i.e. a widespread epidemic on a global scale. Indeed, while the first known cases occurred in Wuhan province, China, in December 2019, the entire world was affected during the year 2020.
Life sciences have obviously mobilised globally to understand and fight the virus, and a great deal of social science research has also been conducted in many countries around the world since 2019. Hence, the French Presidency of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee Bureau – Management of Social Transformations (MOST) proposes to organise a colloquium and explore the broader social science perspective on the pandemic nearly two years after it started.
The conference will be organised under four sub-themes, from the life of the human body to state institutions, and globalisation. Different levels of social reality will be considered in a dialectical and non-deterministic way, in all the fields considered, giving priority to direct observations and first-hand data. In addition, the place of women in each of the four sub-themes as a cross-cutting axis will be taken into account. A specific workshop will be devoted to the role of women in the preservation of tangible and intangible heritages in times of pandemic.
We invite submissions that represent an original study (not previously published) and explore in diverse ways the impact of Covid-19 from social sciences lenses. Submissions must include an abstract consisting of 800 (minimum) – 1000 (maximum) words.
All manuscripts should focus on one of the four following sub-themes:
(i) Effects of the pandemic on the human body and the notion of the person: Illness obviously has effects on the health of those who are affected, but it can also have consequences for those who fear being affected. What are the new rules of socialising and what are their consequences? What are the effects of the new hygiene rules, and in particular the use of masks on human interaction? What are the consequences in the recognition of people? If one cannot see another’s face, is respect for people still maintained? Is social distancing also a barrier between subjects? The colloquium will also be interested in exploring new indoor and outdoor commensality practices (bars, maquis, restaurants, parks, sporting grounds, etc.), if they emerge.
(ii) Effects of COVID19 on local community practices and representations: In France, it was an evangelical meeting that caused the massive spread of the coronavirus in the east of the country. How do religious communities interpret the pandemic? Is it the object of a millenarian elaboration? What is the religious response to the pandemic? Are practices of healing and salvation through contact still ongoing? Are initiation rituals, frequent in Africa and also in Oceania for example, altered? What do ‘traditional’ divinatory discourses say about the pandemic? More broadly, do local meetings – religious or not – take into account the possible transmission of the virus? Is hospitality weakened by the pandemic? Is inter-community violence accentuated by the epidemic?
(iii) Effects of the pandemic at the level of national institutions: What are the effects of the pandemic on primary, secondary, and higher education? How is political life affected by the health risk? Have electoral processes been respected, potentially risking a greater spread of the pandemic? Are the new rules on limited movement and identification of the sick compatible in practice with human rights? The focus should be on describing and interpreting specific situations rather than on normative or predictive discourse.
(iv) Effects of the pandemic on migration, and indirectly globalisation: What are the effects on migration, which is known to be very important between Africa and Europe, between Latin America and North America and in Asia? Have potential migrants changed their plans? If not, how do they now cross borders? What are the new modalities of exchange between the migrant worker and his/her family? The pandemic also affects travel and mobility. How is the tourism economy responding to the fall in air traffic? Has the number of expatriates decreased? Have they changed their lifestyles?
Abstracts should meet the standard of original scholarly research and commentary. They should be anonymous as they will be reviewed through a double-blind process of peer review. References, tables, charts, graphs, images, and figures and any illustrations should be added to the end of the text and are not included in the word count. Abstracts should not contain any information that might identify the author(s). A short biography (maximum 50 words), indicating the full name, institutional affiliation, and email address should be sent as a separate accompanying document.
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF THE ABSTRACTS SUBMITTED:
The review of the abstracts will be based on the following criteria:
- Statement of objectives: clearly identified and consequently followed;
- Structure and organisation: clear and logical presentation of ideas;
- Methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry and analysis: appropriate, technically sound and free from error.
- Sources of data: qualitative and/or qualitative, observation;
- Results/findings, or substantiated conclusions for empirical studies: sound and justified by the data;
- Scientific or scholarly significance and contributions of the inquiry: valid and adequately justified;
- Recommendations for future research trails.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS AND THE DUE DATE:
Language: A proposal may be submitted in French or English language.
Theme: Authors should indicate the name of the theme/panel in which they want their papers to be considered (for multidisciplinary papers, more than one theme/panel can be indicated).
The submission must be sent to: c.guinet@unesco.org
Abstract due date: 15 July 2021 at 9pm (GMT-5)
Full paper due date: 30 September 2021 at 9pm (GMT-5)
Language: A proposal may be submitted in French or English language.
Theme: Authors should indicate the name of the theme/panel in which they want their papers to be considered (for multidisciplinary papers, more than one theme/panel can be indicated).
The submission must be sent to: c.guinet@unesco.org
Abstract due date: 15 July 2021 at 9pm (GMT-5)
Full paper due date: 30 September 2021 at 9pm (GMT-5)
CONFERENCE DETAILS:
Date: Thursday 21 October and Friday 22 October 2021
Duration of the conference: two days (four half-days).
Location: UNESCO Paris / by videoconference
PUBLICATION:
Papers presented and satisfactorily revised after the conference will be included in an edited book. Some papers not included in the programme or invited contributions may be considered for inclusion in the publication.
SCIENTIFIC COORDINATION:
Dr Erwan Dianteill, Professor of Anthropology, University of Paris – Sorbonne SHS Faculty, President of the MOST UNESCO Intergovernmental Council.
Dr Erwan Dianteill, Professor of Anthropology, University of Paris – Sorbonne SHS Faculty, President of the MOST UNESCO Intergovernmental Council.
Selection Committee (members of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the MOST Programme):
- Dr N’Dri Assié-Lumumba, Côte d’Ivoire. Professor in the Africana Center & Director of the Institute for African Development at Cornell University, New York. President of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES). Distinguished Visiting Professor, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. Fellow of the Pan-African Academy of Science. Former Member of the Scientific Committee of CODESRIA.
- Dr Maja Gerovska Mitev, North Macedonia. Professor at the Institute of Social Work and Social Policy, Faculty of Philosophy, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje.
- Dr Gudmund Hernes, Norway. Researcher at the FAFO Institute in Oslo and Professor at BI Norwegian Business School.
- Dr Michelle Mycoo, Trinidad and Tobago. Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, Department of Geomatics Engineering and Land Management, Faculty of Engineering, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. IPCC AR6 Coordinating Lead Author Chapter 15, Small Islands, Working Group II. Member of the International Science Council.
- Dr Ebrima Sall, Senegal. Executive Director of TrustAfrica, Dakar, Senegal. Former Executive Secretary of CODESRIA
- Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Malaysia. Fellow, Academy of Science, Malaysia; Senior Adviser, Khazanah Research Institute.
- Dr Rodrigo Liendo Stuardo, Mexico. Researcher at Institute of Anthropologic Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
- Dr Rossarin Gray, Thailand. Associate Professor at the Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR), Mahidol University, Thailand.
- Dr Hania Sholkamy, Egypt. Professor at the Social Research Center of the American University of Cairo (AUC).