Thematic areas

 

Papers can be submitted for one or more of the following 5 thematic areas:

1. Dialogue among communities: between charism and institutions.

Starting from classical studies on charism/institutions, the proposals related to this area should investigate the transition from charism to institution in organizational, educational and social contexts. Contributions focused on the following topics are welcome:     

• dynamics of dialogue pathways in education communities and institutions;
• analysis of dialogue pathways in institutional settings (market, media, public, third sector, government);
• charism/institution interplay in social, spiritual movements and religious institutions.

2. Conflict resolution through dialogue.

Starting from a non-instrumental concept of dialogue, which is primary based on a mutual recognition of identities, expected contributions should be focused on theories and/or empirical case-studies of dialogue and conflict resolution:

• analysis of emerging needs, inclusion problems;
• social and mutual forgiveness;
• mutual recognition of identities, reciprocal respect, shared values and principles;
• diversity management;
• strategies and best practices in the field of conflict resolution:
  • in multicultural contexts, movements across borders and human rights;
  • in journalism and media;
  • in management, trade and economics;
  • in organization, human resources management and interpersonal relationship;
  • social and educational communities building and functioning;
  • social inclusion and disabilities.

3. The agents of political change and participation processes

The term participation has recently been acknowledged the merit of explaining some key-transformations, which have characterized democratic processes: the transition from bureaucratic to post-bureaucratic paradigm, from government to governance, from unilateral acts to contracts and voluntary pacts and deliberation. In such a context contributions related to the various participative forms and practices in which stakeholders take part to the deliberative process would be mostly appreciated, such as:

• participation of citizens in:
  • legislation;
  • policy-making;
  • planning, delivery and public management;
  • business and management;
  • politics for people with disabilities;
• public sociology, social participation in methodology of social sciences and evaluative research;
• social responsibility and accountability.

 

4. Individual processes, interpersonal and intergroup levels involved in conflict management and its prevention.

Most of the literature dealing with social conflict has focused on the key role of institutional, cultural and political factors. By contrast, the consideration of individual and group characteristics has been relatively neglected, even though they are extremely important, since it is at these levels that the origin of conflicts and the potential for their resolution can often be found.Contributions focused on the analysis and understanding of conflict by integrating, individual, interpersonal and intergroup dimensions into the macro-social context will be welcome. Contexts such as family and schools will also be relevant settings to be considered in this section. The following topics would be mostly appreciated:

• prejudice, discrimination, vulnerability;
• trust and compassion in human relationships;
• proactivity, prosocial or solidarity behaviours ;
• parenting and conflict;
• intergroup relations between minorities and majorities;
• the role of education in diversity management, conflict resolution and the promotion of inclusive citizenship;
• civic and political engagement from a developmental approach;
• social empathy, reciprocity, communion and “unity in diversity”;
• prenatal pedagogy and psychology;
• vocational counseling and life-long career guidance as an instrument for conflict

management and prevention.

5. Dialogue among disciplines and transdisciplinarity.

Science is characterized by growing specialization of disciplines. At the same time, dialogue among sciences assumes an always more crucial role. For this section the following reflections, case studies and works would be mostly appreciated:

• multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary approaches as forms of dialogue and a culture of unity;
• gift and reciprocity as key-concepts useful for a synergic dialogue among sciences, in relation to conflict and dialogue;
• how to build learning, inclusive communities through cross-cultural dialogue thus fostering a culture of unity;
• beyond crowd psychology: the integrative power of agoral gatherings.