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Call for abstracts (research papers and workshops)
Deadline: 15 June 2014
Conference theme: Deaf Ethnographies and Deaf Politics
1. Research papers
We invite abstracts based on research. Duration of presentations will be a maximum of 30 minutes, including time for questions.
A. Deaf ethnographies. Contributions can come from a broad array of humanities and sciences, such as sociology, psychology, anthropology, human and social geography, education, sign language studies and cultural studies. We invite contributions based on ethnographic research, on topics such as:
– Deaf-deaf and deaf-hearing relationships, interactions, and networks (society, neighbourhood, work, friendship, and family)
– Social and cultural meanings of being deaf
– Experience of being deaf
– Individual and communal discourses about being deaf, for example, deaf identity, Deafhood, deaf sociality
– Deaf space-making, deaf use of space
– Practices and experiences of deaf staff and students in schools
– Language attitudes and ideologies with regard to signed and spoken languages
– Methodology when doing ethnographic research into deaf realities
B. Deaf politics: we invite presentations based on quantitative and qualitative, ethnographic and non-ethnographic research (This is not a political forum nor is it about country or case reports). We welcome contributions on topics such as
– The recognition of sign languages
– Language planning and policy
– Group rights for deaf communities
– Bioethics, genetics, and challenges for deaf futures
– Political participation of deaf people
– Citizenship
– The implementation of the UNCRPD (e.g. in local deaf communities)
We welcome abstracts on similar themes that are not listed here.
2. Workshops
We are looking for people who would like to lead workshops. The aim of the workshops is basically to share experiential knowledge and provide guidance on academic related themes. A workshop leader needs to have considerable experiential knowledge with regard to the theme of the workshop. Deaf academics and researchers who are engaged in a broad range of academic disciplines including not only humanities but also natural sciences, life sciences, computer science, law, etc. are warmly welcome to submit abstracts/proposals. Depending on the chosen theme, each workshop can be a teaching session, a participatory discussion, a brainstorm session, or a combination of these. If a number of similar themes are proposed, then, co-led workshops may be organized. Workshops will be 60 minutes in duration. Possible themes for workshops include:
– Challenges faced by deaf academics who want to write research proposals, and routes to successful research proposal writing
– Challenges faced by deaf academics who want to publish academic articles, and routes to successful publications (for example, importance, ways, challenges, impact factors, open access or not)
– Use of computer programmes in research and sign language transcription (such as qualitative data analysis programmes, language transcription programmes, programmes to design conceptual maps, and programmes to structure writing)
– Translation from sign languages to written languages and the other way around
– Presentation skills in sign languages
– Issues regarding working in a signing or non-signing academic environment, working with co-researchers, teaching students
– Ethical and/or methodological issues when doing research with/about deaf people
– Any other issues related to working/researching as a deaf academic
– Challenges faced when working with interpreters in academic contexts
Instructions for abstracts:
– Deadline for abstracts: 15 June 2014
– When you submit an abstract, please mention clearly for which of the above sections you are submitting. (ie deaf ethnographies or apolitics, or workshops)
– Do include your name and affiliation (where applicable)
– One person can send in more than one abstract
– We expect your abstract in English and International Sign (the English version will be included in the conference booklet when the abstract is accepted)
– Send your abstract to deafacademics2015@gmail.com
– When the video file is too big to email you can email us a link to (for example) a Youtube or Vimeo file, or (for example) a Wetransfer, Dropbox or Yousendit download link
– Abstracts for research papers: max 500 words / 5 minutes (including rationale, research methodology used, key findings)
– Abstracts for workshops: max 300 words / 3 minutes (themes that will be covered, questions that will be discussed, the outcome expected, the experiential knowledge of the workshop leader)
