13–14 June 2024, Södertörn University, Sweden
Over the past few decades, social sciences have experienced a departure from earlier approaches that emphasized rationality and redirected their attention toward the comprehensive study of emotions. This intellectual shift, known as “the affective turn,” reshaped a wide range of social sciences disciplines, such as sociology, political science, and journalism (Lemmings & Brooks, 2014), producing seminal theories and concepts, such as emotional labor, teflon culture, emotion management, deep/surface acting, and many others (Hochschild, 1986; Bolton, 2005; Blix & Wettergren, 2018).
As with most research, studies related to the affective turn have been typically conducted in Western settings, and far less is known about emotion research conducted in non-Western contexts, particularly in Eastern Europe and Baltic states. Considering that emotional expression is culturally constructed and thus context-specific and that social structure can give rise to different emotional climates or structures of feelings (Williams, 1977), a dive into emotion research in the Baltic and Eastern Europe could highlight new contributions to the field.
The conference “The Affective Turn in Social Sciences: Emotion Research in Eastern Europe and the Baltic Region” aims to bring together doctoral students and senior researchers specialized in emotion research, especially in Eastern Europe and the Baltic Region. At the same time, the event seeks to establish an interdisciplinary forum for scholars interested in emotion research, foster networking opportunities, and facilitate future research collaborations.
Call for Abstracts:
We invite doctoral students from social science disciplines who touch upon emotions in their research to submit abstracts.
Applicants whose research is based in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region will be prioritized but all students interested in emotion research are encouraged to apply.
The abstract should be written in English and not exceed 350 words. Along with the abstract, please include a short bio (maximum 100 words) and your contact information (email address). Please submit your proposal to: affectiveturn2024@sh.se
The selected participants will be asked to prepare a 15-minute presentation. Certificates of participation will be issued upon request.
Costs:
Participation in the conference is free of charge. Organizers will cover meals and accommodation for one night. Participants must pay their own transportation costs to and from their home destination.
Important Dates:
– Abstract Submission Deadline: 28 April
– Notification of Acceptance: 5 May
– Conference Dates: 13-14 June 2024
Conference Format:
The conference will feature circa 15 doctoral students and five senior researchers. Selected participants will be organized into panels, each of about three students and one senior researcher, to facilitate in-depth discussions and feedback sessions.
Confirmed senior researchers with prominent contributions to emotion research are:
- Sharon Bolton is an Emeritus Professor in Management, Work, and Organization at the University of Stirling in Scotland, United Kingdom. She is best known for her research concerning the management of emotion in organizations and, most recently, her conceptualization of different dimensions of dignity at work and how this translates into managerial practice.
- Johana Kotišová is a Senior FWO Postdoctoral Researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Communication Sciences. She studied journalism and social anthropology and has a joint PhD in sociology. Johana’s research interests include crisis and conflict reporting, journalists’ safety, emotional labor, and mental well-being.
- Åsa Wettergren is a professor of Sociology at Gothenburg University. In her research, she studies the role of emotions in bureaucratic organizations, politics, social movements, and migration. She founded the European Sociological Association’s Research Network in the Sociology of Emotions, RN 11, and is currently the editor-in-chief for one of the leading journals for emotion research: Emotions and Society.
- Maja Sawicka is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Warsaw. In her research, she draws on interactional approaches to emotion, studying the relationships between culture, transformations of social structure, and individual experiences. In addition, she is a specialist inqualitative methods, including digital ethnography.
Join us in advancing emotion research in Eastern Europe and the Baltic Region !
Organizing committee:
Ella Petrini, doctoral student in sociology
Victoria Colesnic, doctoral student in journalism