Symbolic interactionism has a longstanding history of engaging with issues of social justice and equality. Contemporary research and theory has increasingly dealt directly with various forms of discrimination and exclusion demonstrating the strong potential of symbolic interactionism to engage with, document, and support efforts at affecting social change and realising social justice based aims. Through gaining “intimate familiarity” (in Kathy Charmaz’s words) and developing theory that is sensitive to the local conditions of inequality and division, social processes rather than obdurate social structures are revealed. In this way, such analyses can reveal where the cracks in unevenly organised and experienced societies might be found and where possibilities of hope can emerge. What seems to be clear is an increased recognition that a contribution to furthering social justice is both a possible and, even, preferred destination for symbolic interactionist studie
The conference invites participants to discuss research relating to both symbolic interactionism of social justice and symbolic interactionism for social justice in whatever form that may take. The conference is therefore an opportunity to generate productive dialogue relating to potential directions of travel for an interactionism that fully engages with challenges and contexts for achieving social justice in contemporary society. As always, the conference also welcomes papers and panels that demonstrate the state-of-the-art in symbolic interactionist (and aligned) research and theory.
We are delighted that the conference will feature keynote speakers Black Hawk Hancock and Emma Engdahl, as well as an address from our own Paul Atkinson and Sara Delamont. There will also be a pre-conference workshop on Grounded Theory (4th July) delivered by Thaddeus Muller.
Abstract and Panel submission deadline: 31st March
Please email EUSSSI23@cardiff.ac.uk
Registration details to follow
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