Global Conference on Friendship

Pandisciplinary.net

Global Conference on Friendship

Call for Presentations

 

Dates: 12 – 14 June 2017

Location: Mountmelleray Monastery, County Waterford, Ireland

Conference Fee: €340 (Includes accommodation, all meals, and return transport from Dublin and Waterford to the monastery)

Friendship is important to us all. We humans are a social species and need friends in order to flourish, says Aristotle. The evidence seems to be that friendship can both enrich and extend our lives. Many religious traditions promote friendship. Hinduism holds up the example of Krishna and Sudama as friends; Jesus talks of laying down one’s life for one’s friends; the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) have a special place in Islam.

But some see friendship as merely a selfish way to get ahead. And even mutually beneficial friendships can descend into cronyism, causing damage to society at large by fostering corrupt practices that prevent others from flourishing fairly.

So understanding friendship more fully – in both its positive and negative manifestations – is a worthwhile aim. But how exactly might we define friendship? What range of relationships qualify for this title? In what ways does friendship (philia/agape) differ from love (eros)? Appreciating friendship better – and its place among other human emotions – may help us to live more fulfilling lives. And while friendship generally seems to be good for individuals, what happens when friendships turn toxic? There can be a darker side to friendship, characterised by betrayal and revenge. Such themes are explored powerfully in fiction, drama, film and historical writing.

Since friendship is so important, we need to understand the effects of rapid technological and social transformation. In particular: How is the nature of friendship changing in our networked global village, in which people and ideas are more mobile than ever before? Are virtual or Facebook friends comparable with friends in the ‘real world’? Can new methods of befriending be cultivated in the cosmopolitan city, to promote social cohesion? What are the consequences of being friendless? And how can those who are socially isolated be brought into life-enhancing friendships? What new configurations of friendship are possible today? In our fractured times, how can we personally add to the amount of friendship in the world? The Friendship interdisciplinary research and publishing stream seeks answers to these questions and more.

Because friendship – and its absence – is a central part of the human condition, it is of great interest to many disciplines and practices. The topic also provides a fertile ground for examining the intersection between theory and practice. For example, how does understanding friendship analytically help us in ‘the real world’ – both in our own lives and in the lives of those to whom we have some personal or professional responsibility? We want the widest range of people with something to say about friendship to join in this conversation – in an inclusive and welcoming environment.

These might include: anthropologists, historians, psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, counsellors, medical professionals, addiction workers, clinicians, philosophers, theologians, educationalists, parents, teachers, clergy, NGOs, social/welfare services, charities, politicians, political scientists, cultural theorists, IT professionals, performers, creative artists, architects, writers, journalists, and anyone else who wants to understand friendship better.

We welcome traditional papers, panels and workshop proposals, as well as other forms of presentation platforms (art, poetry, posters, video submissions, and so on), given the interdisciplinary nature of the conference, and the recognition that different groups express themselves in various formats and media.

We would like participants – both from within and from outside academia – to explore the concept of friendship in ways that include, but are not limited to:

Representing Friendship

§ portrayal of friendships in literature

§ friendships shown in the mass media

§ famous friendships

§ depictions of friendship in art

§ friendship in film, tv, music, dance, and other types of creative expression

§ the buddy movie (e.g. Thelma & Louise)

§ legendary friendships (e.g. Achilles and Patroclus)

§ letters between friends

§ friendship in diaries

Understanding friendship

§ theorising friendship

§ cultural influences on friendship

§ the psychology of friendship

§ the physiology and neurology of friendship

§ the sociology of friendship

§ the philosophy of friendship

§ the theology of friendship

§ anthropological analyses of friendship

§ clinical perspectives on friendship

§ historical changes in the nature of friendship

§ taxonomies of friendship; permeability of categories

§ obligations and duties of friendship

§ the ‘rules’ of friendship

§ friendship, caste and clan

Friendships in context

§ friends and family

§ friends and acquaintances

§ circles of friends

§ friendship networks

§ technology as both a barrier and catalyst for friendship

§ economics of friendship: greeting card and gift industries that monetise friendship

§ friendship and identity (e.g. ‘mateship’ and national identity in Australia)

§ friendship, loyalty and betrayal

§ imaginary friends

§ friendship and disability

§ absent friends

§ finding a balance between solitude and company

§ friendship and hatred

§ friendship and exclusion

§ friends at rites of passage (e.g. ‘stag’ and ‘hen’ parties)

§ friends at weddings: best man and bridesmaids

Making friends

§ befriending

§ Facebook friending

§ welcoming strangers

§ introduction agencies

§ friendship traditions

§ friendship rituals

§ mental health conditions that make befriending problematic

§ fraternities/sororities

§ Men’s Sheds and Women’s Quilting Clubs

§ brotherhoods and sisterhoods

§ friendship and hobbies

§ keeping friends

Early friendships

§ friendship in childhood

§ developing the social skills for friendship

§ playmates

§ ‘buddy’ schemes

§ friendship bands

§ play dates

§ school/college friends

Types of friendship

§ BFF (Best Friends Forever)

§ lifelong friendships

§ exclusive friendships

§ same sex friendships

§ bromance

§ Platonic friendships

§ artistic friendships

§ revolutionary friendships

§ literary friendships (e.g. Tolkein and Lewis)

§ intercultural friendships

§ cosmopolitan friendships

§ long-distance friendships

§ digital friendships

§ social media and friendship

§ mobile phones and friendship

§ friendship in old age

§ friendship with oneself

§ paid companions

§ Godwinian friendships

§ friends and lovers

§ secret friendships

§ friend-zoning

§LGBTQIA friendships

§ ‘friends with benefits’

§ ‘gay best friend’

§ cross-species friendships

§ friendships with pets

Divine friendships

§ spiritual friendships

§ friendship with the Creator

§ companions of the Prophet PBUH

§ friendships in religious texts

§ Religious exemplars of friendship: e.g. Krishna and Sudama

§ the Society of Friends (Quakers)

§ soulmates

Useful allies

§ professional friendships

§ friendship and collegiality

§ the critical friend

§ conditional friendship

§ strategic friendships

§ friendship and self-interest

§ parasitic friendships

§ political friendships

§ productive parterships

§ friendship and creativity

§ friend as artistic muse (e.g. Lee Miller and Man Ray)

§ friends in high places

§ cronyism

Friendship in tough times

§ camaraderie

§ unconditional friendship

§ blood brothers

§ sacrifice for friends

§ brothers in arms

§ friendships in confinement (e.g. prison)

§ fraternising with the enemy

§ friendship and disadvantage

§ friendship and homelessness

§ friendship and addiction

§ friendship and solitude

§ therapeutic friendships

§ a friendly ear/shoulder to cry on

Benefits of friendship

§ friendship and psychological wellbeing

§ mental health and clinical perspectives

§ friendship and health

§ friendship and the ‘Good Life’

§ friendship and belonging

§ friendship and social cohesion

§ friendship and self esteem

§ friendship and solidarity

§ friendship and happiness

§ a friend in need

§ friends as mentors

The dark side of friendship

§ dangerous liaisons

§ forbidden friendships

§ insuitable friends

§ dysfunctional friendships

§ toxic friendships

§ gangs

§ friends as conspirators

§ friends and enemies

§ forced friendships

§ suffocating friendships

§ manipulative friendships

§ co-dependency

§ friendly rivalry

§ famous fallouts (e.g. Freud and Jung)

§ breaking up with friends

§ Facebook ‘de-friending’

§ friendlessness

What to Send

300 word abstracts should be submitted by February 14 2017. All submissions are minimally double blind peer reviewed. If your abstract is accepted for the conference, a full draft paper should be sent by April 14 2017. Abstracts should be emailed simultaneously to the Organising Chairs; abstracts may be in Word or RTF formats with the following information and in this order:

a) author(s), b) affiliation as you would like it to appear in programme, c) email address, d) title of proposal, e) body of proposal, f) up to 10 keywords.

E-mails should be entitled: Friendship1 Abstract Submission

Where to Send

The Organising Chairs look forward to receiving your abstract.

Seán Moran: [email protected]

Michelle Ryan: [email protected]

This event is an inclusive interdisciplinary research project. It aims to bring together people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore various innovative and exciting discussions.

All papers accepted for and presented at the conference must be in English.

Ethos

We believe that it is a mark of personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract for presentation.

Please note: we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence, but we will provide free return transport from Dublin and Waterford to the conference venue.

Venue

The monastery is a peaceful place, built in 1832 on a beautiful location in the gentle mountains between Waterford and Tipperary. We will all be staying at the monastery, and all meals are provided, as well as free return transport from Dublin and Waterford. It will be an opportunity to escape from the world for a short while, and enjoy some friendly and stimulating discussions in a serene environment.

http://www.mountmellerayabbey.org/