The theme of the conference, Studying Everyday Life: Generic Dimensions of Interactionist Inquiry, has been chosen in order to accommodate empirical contributions that apply interactionist research and analysis to practical issues and problems. It also makes it possible to reflect upon where we are going as we continue to study human knowing and acting in everyday life and thereby extend the intellectual horizons of interactionism. Another major objective is to present what we have learned about the more generic or fundamental aspects of human group life and to suggest ways in which we can more adequately conceptualize the matters at hand from a symbolic interactionist standpoint. Not only do such endeavors contribute to our understanding of people’s everyday lives, they can also help form needed social policies and encourage the development of a well-informed citizenry.
 

We invite submissions from all walks of interactionist, pragmatist, and related everyday-life and ethnographic traditions. While there have been many suggestions for topics—foundational theoretical and methodological issues, micro- and macro-interactionism, policy-relevant research, ethnographic ventures, self and identity studies, contemplative inquiry, normality vs. deviance, experiencing and studying emotions, body and embodiment, the backstage practice of doing qualitative research, symbolic interactionism in the postmodern era, and many others—the conference does not limit participants to any specific subject area. Consequently, the particular sessions featured in the final conference program will be based upon people’s actual activities and interests.
 

With a view to highlighting the goal of contributing to the social understanding of people’s everyday lives, and in order to stress the importance our analyses have as prospective tools for social workers, therapists, police officers, and policy-makers, among many others, this year’s conference will accommodate a wide range of workshops and exhibitions addressed to practitioners, researchers, scholars, as well as the non-scholarly general public. The aim is to emphasize the practical dimension of our analytical ventures by reflecting upon what we can learn from reconstructing the processes we not only observe and study, but also experience and “work with” in our everyday lives.
 

In line with the theme of the conference, we anticipate editing a journal issue devoted to the art and craft of symbolic interaction and ethnographic research.
 

Abstracts (300 word limit) will be submitted online.
Abstract submission deadline: January 31st, 2017
Abstract decision date: February 10th, 2017

CONFERENCE OFFICE

Sociology of Organization & Management Department
University of Lodz
Rewolucji 1905 41/43
90-214 Lodz, Poland

email address: eusssi2017.office@gmail.com