CfP: Rethinking Institutions and Deinstitutionalisation from a Disability Perspective

Université Saint-Louis, Brussels, July 7 and 8, 2022 

Url: https://alterconf2022.sciencesconf.org/ 

Click here to watch the video in International Signs:  https://youtu.be/K6_ij_cCyN4

Framework. Call for Papers for the annual meeting of Alter – European Society for Disability Research/Société Européenne de Recherche sur le Handicap (http://alter-asso.org). The conference will be held on 7 and 8 July 2022 at University Saint-Louis, Brussels, and will be hosted by the team of the interdisciplinary research project AutonomiCap (https://autonomicap-usaintlouis.org/), which focuses on the intertwined notions of autonomy and disability. The conference will result in the publication of a selection of contributions, notably in a peer-reviewed collection of essays.

Submission. Is invited to submit an abstract any junior or senior researcher working on disability or related issues, such as mental health or loss of autonomy, in the humanities and social sciences. The main disciplines to be covered are, but are not limited to, sociology, anthropology, history, philosophy, psychology, law, and political science. Participants are invited to contribute either in French, English, or sign language (International Sign, LSFB or VGT).  


Confirmed Keynote Speakers. Olivier Giraud  (CNRS, Lise-Cnam, France) ; Eva Feder Kittay (Stony Brook University, US) ; Paul Lemmens (KU Leuven, European court of human rights, Belgium).

DeadlineDecember 6, 2021

Overview. In inviting us to rethink institutions and the new modalities of institutionalisation from the perspective of disability, this conference aims to unfold the notion of institution under all its aspects and in various contexts, from the perspective of different fields and from occasionally distinct positions depending on the country or the disability considered. It also aims to examine the history, the stakes and the experiences of the various forms of deinstitutionalisation, to trace the possible contours of an inclusive society respectful of the choices of people with disabilities. 


Proposals are expected to address the topic either from a conceptual and general point of view, or from a pragmatic and case-based approach with an empirical dimension. Papers may take a macroscopic and/or comparative approach, as well as a microscopic and/or locally situated perspective. 

They may be grounded in thematic “scenes”, connected to a fundamental right and/or considered from the point of view of a particular category of people. The overlap between disability, age and mental disorder, the notion of intersectional discrimination, ethics and politics of care, etc. may be addressed in relation to the issue of institutions and deinstitutionalisation. The analysis can also focus on the variations of the notion of institution, possibly in relation with other concepts, or focus on its counterpart, deinstitutionalisation as such or in combination with related devices. 

The subject can also be approached from the perspective of the Covid crisis, from a broader contemporary perspective or from a historical approach. 


Submission guidelines. Proposals must be submitted no later than December 6, 2021 on the Alter conference website: https://alterconf2022.sciencesconf.org/   To submit, it is required to create an account on the Sciencesconf platform if you do not already have one: https://alterconf2022.sciencesconf.org/user/createaccount


Proposals can be introduced individually (20 min. per presentation), or as a group in the form of a joint session with three to four presentations (accordingly 15 to 20 min. per presentation). In the latter case, a presentation of the session is required in addition to the abstracts of the papers themselves. Proposals can be written in English, or French, or in sign language (International Sign, LSFB or VGT), according to the following guidelines: 

• Title of the paper or session; 

• For an individual submission: an abstract of maximum 3000 characters (spaces not included) stating the originality, the problematic, the methods and results (depending on the practices of the discipline) and an indicative bibliography. 

• For a joint session proposal: an argument in support of the session proposal of maximum 3000 characters (spaces not included), specifying the names and institutional affiliations of the authors of the session, and the titles of their papers. A file with abstracts for each paper of the session, following the same guideline as proposals for individual submissions, must be attached. 

• The theme of the paper (a, b, c, d, e - see §4 of the CfP on the Conference website) 

• The language chosen for the paper or session (English, French, International Sign, LSFB or VGT).

• For a submission in one of the sign languages of the conference, a written abstract is not required. A video of up to 7 minutes should be submitted instead. Technically a  file or video link can be submitted after the abstract page.

Decisions of the Organising and Scientific Committees will be notified at the end of January 2022, on the understanding that by submitting a proposal for a paper or a session,  the author or the person in charge commits to attend the conference if their proposal is accepted. 


A separate call will be issued for participation in the DisABILITY MUNDUS Doctoral School which will be held, prior to the conference, from Sunday 3rd to Wednesday 6th of July 2022 - also at the Université Saint-Louis – Brussels (details to come on the Conference website).  

Conference fees. Participants can choose to become a member of ALTER - which includes a subscription to the peer-reviewed journal of the same name (ALTER, European Journal of Disability Research) - or to register for the conference only, more details here: 
https://alterconf2022.sciencesconf.org/resource/page/id/8

Contact
alterconf2022@sciencesconf.org 

A longer version of this Call for Papers, with further details, is available on the ALTER 2022 Conference website: https://alterconf2022.sciencesconf.org/resource/page/id/1