The
University of Lleida is pleased to announce The 6th International
Symposium on Cultural Gerontology.
For a
few years now, the realisation that the population is
ageing worldwide has led to an increase in studies of
the ageing process in diverse disciplines and from
different perspectives. Inter-disciplinary
gerontological research is providing a deeper insight
into the human ageing process and is revealing that
ageing is as much a cultural phenomenon as it is a
biological one. It is also showing that the Western
perception of old age as a phase of physical
degradation and dependency no longer pertains and, in
an era of increasing longevity, has ceased to provide
a viable base on which to develop strategies of
provision and support.
Cultural
constraints condition the individual's and society's
actions and choices during the entire ageing process.
For this reason, the quality of an individual's
ageing is determined to a large extent by the type of
social and cultural environment within which that
individual grows older. While acknowledging the
essential nature of biological factors in the human
ageing process, inter-disciplinary cultural
gerontology relates to thosel aspects of human ageing
not covered specifically by the biomedical sciences.
Personal experience and acculturated images and
perceptions are intrinsic to any holistic
understanding of the ageing process. It is in this
sense that the arts, the humanities and the social
sciences have a fundamental role to play in the study
of human ageing and constitute a valuable complement
to other areas of gerontological research. Cultural
gerontology is able to reveal culturally-determined
perceptions, attitudes and effects of the ageing
process that do not fall within the fields of
research of other disciplines, and can thereby shed
important light on this complex and fascinating
experience that is shared by all.
This
Symposium will present research carried out into the
process of ageing in its diverse cultural and social
manifestations and will promote discussion of the
human ageing process from the perspectives of
sociology, social anthropology, psychology, social
work, politics, religion, economics, literature,
language and the mass media.
Thematic
issues:
Plenary
sessions, paper panels, and poster presentations:
Participants
from various countries are requested to present
papers and posters that will draw on experience in a
wide variety of areas relating to Cultural
Gerontology. The Symposium will be made up of plenary
sessions, presentations of participants' papers, and
poster presentations. Contributors of papers should
plan for an oral exposition of their papers which
should take not more than 20 minutes.
Please
note that the language of the Symposium is English.
FINAL CALL FOR PAPERS
The deadline for submitting paper and poster
proposals has been extended to 31st May 2008.
In
the case of papers, proposals will comprise a title
and a 250-word abstract. In the case of posters,
proposals will comprise a title and a 200-word
description of the main theme or topic of the poster.
All proposals must include the author's(s') full
name(s), postal address(es), telephone number(s),
email address(es), and institutional affiliation(s).
Please
submit paper and poster proposals as email
attachments to nbureu@dal.udl.cat
All
authors who have submitted papers and poster
proposals will be notified personally within a
reasonable time after the submission of their
abstracts and poster descriptions whether or not
their proposal has been accepted for presentation at
the Symposium.
Following acceptance of their
paper for presentation at the Symposium, authors
should inform the organisers of any infrastructure
requirements for the presentation of the paper, for
example, overhead projector, laptop, digital
projector, etc.
Posters are to be presented on
boards measuring 130cm x 68cm. Presenters of posters
must bring their posters with them to the Symposium
or arrange for the poster to arrive at the University
of Lleida (Edifici del Rectorat) at least one week
before the Symposium commences.
Papers
presented at the Symposium may be published in book
form. In order for papers to be included in any
publication resulting from the Symposium,
contributors will need to provide a digitised copy of
their abstract and paper which should be presented as
follows: preferably on a clearly-labelled CD in the
format of an MS WORD (.doc) file, with paper support,
in English, page layout A4, double-space, font 12,
Times New Roman, between 10-15 pages, with
author’s(s’) full name(s) and institutional
address(es) on the title page. Papers will also be
accepted as a .doc file sent as an email attachment.
All
participants must pay the Symposium registration fee.
Registration fees will be used to cover the
running-costs of the Symposium. The University of
Lleida does not provide participants with any form of
financial support, nor does it cover travel or
accommodation expenses of participants presenting
papers or posters or who attend the plenary and panel
sessions.
Symposium
Organising Committee:
Nela
Bureu Ramos, Núria Casado Gual, Emma Domínguez
Rué, Carme Farré Vidal, Marta Miquel Baldellou,
Maria O’Neill, Elena Pérez Serrano, Maricel
Oró Piqueras, Isabel Santaulària Capdevila, Maria
Vidal Grau, Brian Worsfold, Carmen Zamorano Llena
Contact address: Grup Dedal-Lit (Attention:
Dr. Brian Worsfold - bworsfold@dal.udl.cat) / Departament d’Anglès i Lingüística /
Universitat de Lleida / Plaça de Víctor Siurana, 1
/ E-25003 LLEIDA / Catalunya / Spain
Tel: +34 973 702
144 / 973 703 172 / 973 703 173
Fax: +34 973 702
170
More information
(registration fees, accommodation, etc.) at http://web.udl.cat/dept/dal/cultgero/index.htm
