Call for Papers, RIA - ADCSF - Paris - 2013

29-30 & 31 October

Since 2003, the Biennial International Network for Animation has offered opportunities for researchers, lecturers and practitioners in sociocultural community development to meet and discuss various themes. For 2013 the focus chosen by the organizing committee is:

Sociocultural Community Development and Social Intervention:
What visions for Society?

1. Heritage and ruptures - origins and trajectories

Sociocultural community development (animation socioculturelle ) and more generally the field of social intervention develop in complex societal contexts (GILLET (dir.) 2004). On the one hand, their existence and development are marked by specific territorial environments which are built and recomposed by the lifting of economic, geographical, political and ideological levers (DI MEO 1998) that would tend to confirm the diversity and variety of the processes involved.

On the other hand, the dynamics of the two fields above mentioned operate on a world scale and contribute to the necessary regulations and adjustements between local or even individual human realities and those of more or less institutionalized socioeconomic financial and State powers.

The challenges and issues that emerge from this observation are a concern to all those involved in the relations between the public and private spheres, the construction of democracy and active citizenship or those who engage with the most vulnerable communities and excluded minorities ( Alinsky 1971), (Freire 1968) ...

In France sociocultural community development (animation socioculturelle) as a professionalized form of collective and individual action on a local level developed in the wake of Popular Education in a logic of either continuation or rupture for some, or in both for others. (POUJOL 1989). Also in France, over the centuries, the methods of social intervention have evolved from charitable and benevolent approaches through public assistance, towards social action and social work which have themselves been redefined in recent years of deep reforms (Thevenet, 2008). Similar forms of action and practice are being built in other countries in Europe, the Americas, Africa or Asia...each in their own distinctive contexts and traditions.

These diverse historical realities and contexts are the crucible of the many initiatives that this first key theme will explore. This will be an opportunity for practitioners and researchers from all geographical and cultural backgrounds to:

- Explore in a diachronic and / or synchronic approach the events and processes that have led to the emergence, development, institutionalization and sometimes disruption of the fields of sociocultural community development and social intervention,

- Show how these processes and actions lead towards either the emancipation or the social control of the targeted populations and communities, and measure the conditions that were favorable or unfavorable to the development or perpetuation of these processes;

- Identify the levers that have been used to allow the structuring or even the modeling of the various schools of thought on sociocultural community development and social intervention ;

- Assess how the patterns of sociocultural community development and social intervention differ or overlap, exist or disappear depending on the contexts from which they emerge and in which they operate.

Suggested sub-themes and additional questions :

- The roots of social intervention and sociocultural community development : common foundations and differences ?

- Social movements, societal change and the transformation of the field of social intervention ...

- The reconstructed past: how can past experiences inspire future projects?

2. Meanings and purposes: for which types of society?

The globalization of the economy, neo-liberalism and open borders, new values and lifestyles have profoundly changed our societies and our relationships to others (Stiglitz 2010), (Michalet 2004). The financial and then economic and social crisis have deeply affected economic and social systems and organizations as well as everyday life throughout the world. How have the fields social intervention and sociocultural community development evolved in this context? How do they fit? Should they adjust? Should they oppose and resist?

Individual empowerment and emancipation, access to autonomy and citizenship, social change, democracy, equality of opportunity, solidarity, social economy: the changes in our societies have a strong impact on professional practice and the modes of intervention (WANDERLEY & ARREGUI 2006 ).

This theme aims at questioning the direction of sociocultural community development and social intervention in changing societies.

A set of questions can thus be addressed to the various actors in those fields:

- What missions do they claim? What missions are they given?

- Are they the drivers or the followers of change? Do they implement or oppose it?

- What about their place in the social organization?

- Is their approach preventive (upstream) or curative (downstream)?

- What conditions are necessary to build and develop a democratic society?

- Can/should the actors in the field of sociocultural community development and social intervention play a part in the conquest of these democratic spaces? How can they succeed?

- From an international perspective, how do the various models and types of organization of society, the values and the place given to and taken by the citizens impact on the perceptions and prospects for a democratic society?

- Under what conditions can Utopian models bring about change? Can they be redefined?

Suggested sub-themes and additional questions :

- Deepening democracy: towards which forms of democracy? What routes? What modes of intervention?

- Issues of identity, issues of citizenship...

- The organization of society: What suggestions? What drivers of change?

- Charitable action and social development ...

- Critical-democratic education for self and social change...

- Collective action, social role and personality, individuation process

3. Boundaries, spaces and territories

Set in an international perspective, the socio-spatial approach of this theme will explore the institutionalized/statutory and alternative forms of sociocultural community development (animation) and social intervention (S. KILPATRICK, S. JOHNS, B. Mulford, Falk I., L. 2002 PRESCOTT ).

- What are the mechanisms, actions, actors of social intervention and sociocultural community development? What complementarities, what specificities? What oppositions?

- Can or should we speak of "social intervention" to cover the whole span of social action and community organizing?

- Should we build and promote separate professional identities? What goals and priorities do we assign to each field?

- Professional training and qualifications, diplomas, professions: are they substantially identical in each country...and in all countries? If not, what are the reasons?

- To what extent are the various systems of social intervention and sociocultural community development dependent on the organization of each society?

The territories of intervention within each country and throughout the world are quite different. To what extent does each territory/environment determine and relate to the modes of action /intervention (ZINN 1968)? Rural or urban spaces and neighborhoods, wealthy or underprivileged areas raise the question of equal access to public services. What forms of intervention exist to compensate for inequality in the access to healthcare, education and priority services? What are the roles of the citizens, professionals, volunteers and activists?

In many areas and parts of the world, the profit making sector has taken on large spaces previously occupied by the public and parapublic sectors. What analysis can be drawn from this observation? What interest, risk, danger to the population and to the organization of society? Should we regulate, legislate to give more frames to the fields of sociocultural community development and social intervention? To what extent? With what risks?

Suggested sub-themes and additional questions :

- Policies, systems and actions, actors and participants and targeted communities/groups...

- Professions, occupations, training and qualifications, occupational standards, certifications, degrees and diplomas...

- The areas of intervention, community development, urbanity and rurality...

- Links between the fields of public intervention and the socio-economic contexts : What is at stake ? Competition and complementarity, relations between public – private sectors...

Keywords:

Sociocultural animation, education, empowerment, emancipation, social economy, democracy, citizenship, professionalism, social transformation, social change, social policies, community organizing, community development, community work.

General information

Particular attention will be given to papers presenting scientific experiments, professional innovation and citizen/community initiatives relating to the fields of sociocultural community development and social intervention. Through their purpose, methodology, or the groups/communities involved, these approaches aim to open up new perspectives, new horizons for the actors (professionals, volunteers, activists and citizens) but also for the territories and societies. Are there alternatives to existing models? What prospects of individual and collective empowerment and emancipation can one draw, to deconstruct our ideas, models and professional practice from the perspective of building or rebuilding democratic societies?

Original, peculiar and singular approaches and experiments will be considered.

Animation Symposium

To promote discussion, exchange and deeper reflection, one or more "polemicists" will, in a constructive and quirky spirit, bring controversy to the speakers. They will be involved in bringing out some elements or issues that have been overseen and should be debated. Those among the speakers who would like to play this part can make themselves known to the organizing committee.

Bibliography

ALINSKY, S.D., 1971. Rules for radicals,

FREIRE, P., 1968. Pedagogía del oprimido : Concepción bancaria de la educación. Reflexión y análisis del mundo. Dialogicidad. Antidialogicidad,

GILLET, J.C., (dir.), 2004. L'animation professionnelle et volontaire dans 20 pays. Tome 1 & 2, l'Harmattan, Paris.

KILPATRICK S., JOHNS S., MULFORD B., FALK I., PRESCOTT L., 2002. More than an education: leadership for rural school-community partnerships Australian Capital Territory: Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation., Canberra.

DI MEO, G., 1998. Géographie sociale et territoires, Nathan Université, Paris.

MICHALET, C.-A., 2004. Qu'est-ce que la mondialisation ? : petit traité à l'usage de ceux et celles qui ne savent pas encore s'il faut être pour ou contre, Ed. La Découverte, Paris

POUJOL, G., 1989. Profession animateur, Privat., Paris

SOUSA LOPES (de), M., 2006. Animaçao sociocultural, Amarante, Portugal.

STIGLITZ, J.E., 2010. Le triomphe de la cupidité, Babel, Paris

UCAR, X., 1992. La animacion sociocultural, Grupo editorial CEAC, Barcelona.

VENTOSA V.- J., 2002. Fuentes de la animacion sociocultural en Europa, editorial CCS, Madrid.

WANDERLEY, M.B. & ARREGUI, C.C., 2006. Coloquio de Animaçao Sociocultural, IEe CAPES, Brasil.

ZINN, H., 1968. Disobedience and Democracy: Nine Fallacies on Law and Order, Cambridge Massachusetts: South End Press.

Practical information

• Deadline for the submission of abstracts: February 28, 2013

• Abstracts format: Title, name (s) of the author or authors and brief presentation of author(s), text of 3000 characters maximum

• Response date of the Scientific Committee: March 31, 2013

• Deadline for written papers: June 30th, 2013 (registration required to post the text)

• Paper format : 40 000 characters including spaces and bibliography,OpenOffice.org or Word, Times New Roman, 12. Papers failing to comply with these references will not be accepted for publication

• Publication of the papers can take different forms:

o conference proceedings for texts considered by the Scientific Committee as the most relevant to the conference main theme,

o Online publication of all texts on the RIA website , the International Journal of Animation, Territories and Sociocultural Practices and the ADCS-IUT website (French network of youth and community work university departments)

Registration

Registration opens: October 2012 (online payment)

• Before April 30th, 2013: 200 € (140 € for students)

• Before June 30,th 2013: 250 € (175 € for students)

• From July 1st 2013: 300 € (210 € for students)

• Registration to official conference meal and festive evening: 50 €

Warning : the number of available reduced fees for students is limited

For a training agreement to support registration costs, please contact us.

Conference fee includes:

o participation to all conferences, symposia and workshops

o the booklet of abstracts

o simultaneous translation (English and Spanish) for conferences and symposia

o lunch (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday)

o coffee breaks ...

o planned visits and activities on Wednesday afternoon

Paris will always be Paris ... We have scheduled time to visit and explore Paris for delegates (and their accompanying guests). The program of visits and activities is under construction.