Social Sciences

Fwd: 1st Global Conference: Happiness

1st Global Conference: Happiness

Saturday 14th March â?? Monday 16th March 2015
Lisbon, Portugal

Call for Presentations:
This inter- and multi-disciplinary conference seeks to explore one of the most basic and universal human desires: happiness. Aristotle spoke of happiness as the only phenomenon which is an end in itself. The nation of Bhutan has established a system that attempts to quantify happiness: the Gross National Happiness Index. Each culture and age interprets the nature of happiness differently, and every art form of every era finds different ways to express and capture it.

The conference will inquire into the place of happiness in our lives, its possible meanings, ways in which it is interpreted, promoted, articulated and shared.

This project seeks submissions that look at how our understanding of happiness reveals something about the nature of persons, the relationship between persons and their bodies, the relationship between persons and their communities, and/or the place of "spirit" in the lives of individuals.
Furthermore, we will explore how the concept of happiness is used in the fields of medicine, mental health and social welfare.

Submissions in the form of papers, presentations and pre-formed panels are invited on any of the following themes:

I. What is happiness?
-Defining "happiness." Is it an emotion? A neurological/biochemical response?
-Is happiness unique or exclusive to human beings?
-Non-human happiness
-Categories of happiness: Joy; euphoria; ecstasy; contentment; satisfaction

II. The origins of happiness
-Happiness as universal; as international; as national; as local; as particular
-Happiness and/as/in history
-The contexts and conditions of happiness
-Producing happiness

III. The meaning of happiness
-Happiness and meaning
-Happiness and language
-What is at stake when dealing with happiness?
-The "limits" of happiness
-The dangers of happiness

IV. Explaining happiness
-Happiness and explanation: can happiness really be explained?
-Theories of happiness: philosophical, anthropological, sociological, psychological, economic, physiological

V. Happiness and Practice
-Engendering happiness
-Practices causing and prolonging happiness
-Happiness, hope and optimism
-Meaning, happiness and action
-Happiness and self-efficacy
-Case studies

VI. Happiness and Religion/Spirituality
-Happiness from the perspective of religious traditions
-Happiness and sacred texts
-Portraits of happiness
-Happiness and "redemption"
-Happiness and atheism

VII. Happiness and Well-Being
-Happiness and physical wellness
-Happiness and mental health
-Happiness and healing
-Case studies

VIII. Representing happiness
-Happiness and representation
-Happiness in literature
-Happiness in the media
-Happiness in tv, film, theatre and radio
-Happiness and cyberculture

The topic of happiness provides a fertile ground for the intersection of theory and praxis from a variety of disciplines. As we explore the manifold aspects of this concept, we encourage participants to think outside the limits of their own discipline, to explore the implications for practice in the theories which they represent. Our intention is to unlock the ivory tower for the benefit of all, not merely the academy.

The Steering Group particularly welcomes the submission of pre-formed panel proposals.

In order to support and encourage interdisciplinarity engagement, it is our intention to create the possibility of starting dialogues between the parallel events running during this conference. Delegates are welcome to attend up to two sessions in each of the concurrent conferences. We also propose to produce cross-over sessions between two and possibly all three groups â?? and we welcome proposals which deal with the relationship between Hope and/or Interculturalism and/or Happiness.

What to Send:
300 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday 31st October 2014. All submissions are minimally double blind peer reviewed where appropriate. If an abstract is accepted for the conference, a full draft paper should be submitted by Friday 23rd January 2015. Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chairs; abstracts may be in Word or RTF formats with the following information and in this order:

a) author(s), b) affiliation, c) email address, d) title of abstract, e) body of abstract f) up to 10 key words
E-mails should be entitled: HAPPI1 Abstract Submission.

Please use plain text (Times Roman 12) and abstain from using footnotes and any special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or underline). We acknowledge receipt and answer all paper proposals submitted. If you do not receive a reply from us in a week you should assume we did not receive your proposal; it might be lost in cyberspace! We suggest, then, to look for an alternative electronic route or resend.

Organising Chairs:
Nancy Billias: [email protected]
Rob Fisher:[email protected]

The conference is part of the Tranquility and Well-Being programme of research projects. It aims to bring together people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore various discussions which are innovative and exciting. All papers accepted for and presented at the conference must be in English and will be eligible for publication in an ISBN eBook. Selected papers may be developed for publication in a themed hard copy volume(s). All publications from the conference will require editors, to be chosen from interested delegates from the conference.

Inter-Disciplinary.Net believes it is a mark of personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract for presentation.

For further details of the conference, please visit:
http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/probing-the-boundaries/tranquillity-studies/tranquillity-well-being/conferences-events/happiness/call-for-presentations/

Please note: Inter-Disciplinary.Net is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence.

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Social Sciences