International Association of Critical Realism - IACR
The 14th Annual Conference 5 – 7 September 2011
Pre-Conference/ PhD course 2 - 4 September 2011
Oslo University College, Oslo, Norway
A world in profound change – Welfare and Nature in Crisis
Interdisciplinary Understanding of Reality in an Age of Global Capitalism
In a rapidly changing world a multitude of new challenges is presented to the social and natural sciences. Human welfare is subject to crisis in many parts of the world, not only in the poor South but also in Eastern Europe and in many parts of the rich North. Similarly nature is in crisis globally. A globally encompassing capitalism is deeply involved and the consequences of the recent financial crisis are felt worldwide. Due to this many countries are struggling to develop new policies to secure employment, education, justice, social welfare, and nature. The need for in-depth understanding of social and environmental problems is urgent.
Together with acute poverty, climate change and destruction of natural ecosystems are among the most pressing issues. Changes in nature contribute among other things to climate refugees and migration among poor populations. Mono-disciplinary science has limitations in understanding the realities of the present status. In some respects science is part of the problem, not least in natural and technological sciences. This necessitates interdisciplinary research where critical realism is particularly able to contribute to a deeper understanding of complex phenomena.
The registration link will be opened 1 March. You will find the time-schedule and deadlines for registration and submissions on this web-site. The preliminary program for the conference will soon be announced.
The Conference themes comprise a number of aspects related to human welfare and nature, separately and combined: poverty, health, education, justice, legislation, organization and governance, economy and distribution, climate change, energy crisis, philosophy of nature, etc.
The Conference calls for papers from all areas in the arts and humanities, the natural and social sciences, including work in critical realism, in its dialectical development, and in the form of meta-reality. The conference welcomes scholars who do not necessarily consider themselves critical realists but are interested in dialogue with or within CR. We will strongly appreciate participants to come forward with proposals for streams, and also take the role of organizing a stream.
Papers are invited on the following topics
Pre-Conference/ PhD course: 2 - 4 September: Critical Discourse Analysis
The main topic of this years' pre-conference/workshop is Critical Discourse Analysis. Participants of the main conference as well as students and others who are interested in this topic are welcome.
The pre-conference is also arranged as a PhD course.
Student ECTS: 5, provided that a paper of approximately 3000 words is submitted in advance of the course.
We recommend and welcome students to take part in the main conference.
You can read more about the pre-conference/PhD course following the links Pre-conference/PhD course and Deadlines .
Post-Conference on the philosophy of meta-Reality: 7 September 14:30