Two symposia to be considered for the 20th PsySSA Congress in September 2014

The Community and Social Psychology Division intends to submit abstracts for two symposia to be considered for the 20^th PsySSA Congress in September 2014. We invite PsySSA members and other interested parties to participate in these presentations and discussions:

Symposium 1

Social Psychology in South Africa today: Challenges, possibilities and implications

Social psychology in South Africa continues to be a crucial sub-discipline which aims to interrogate and take seriously issues of social justice.  Though espousing an expanded purview that considers social situations in which people are found, it continues to be populated and dominated by knowledges and theorizing from the West. This presents itself as a challenge as it almost assumes a universal way of understanding people’s lived experiences which has been argued by many as problematic. Much of the teaching in social psychology continues to be dependent on imported theories and an assumption of universal application. There is a need for critical reflection on the applicability of social psychology in the present South African context. This symposium seeks to offer space for this reflection through highlighting some of the challenges of uncritically applying imported theories and methodologies, possibilities of the sub-discipline in the country today, and the implications thereof.

For more information contact Dr Puleng Segalo at segapj@unisa.ac.za

Symposium 2

Inside-out Outside-in: Prison experiences and communities

This symposium seeks to engage community psychology approaches and perspectives to the diverse communities that exist in and around correctional systems. The focus will be on initiatives that cross the boundaries between the inside and outside of prisons. Examples are the development of tertiary education opportunities for prisoners, issues of social reintegration and recidivism after release, issues relating to the families and relatives of prisoners, and the collaborative generation and dissemination of knowledge about prison experiences and circumstances.

For more information, contact Prof Eduard Fourie at fourime@unisa.ac.za

Invitation to the February 2014 Gender Research @ UP Reading

You are cordially invited to the February 2014 GR@UP Reading of

Prefaces to both editions of Gender Trouble by Judith Butler (1990, revised edition 1999), together with the first chapter for those who want to go deeper into the text.

With Special Guest

Tertius Kapp

As a special guest we will welcome the poet and playwright Tertius Kapp who will talk about his drama Rooiland, and the field research he has done for this piece in the Cape Town prisons. Among others, his attention was drawn to the (sexual) relationships between male prisoners. While one in the couple assumes the female role, and therefore claiming they are not homosexual or involved in same sex sexual acts, these prison communities are an excellent example of what Butler calls gender performative acts. Kapp’s drama is set the confined space of Cape Town prison and tells the stories of personal battles which prison gangs and its members encounter on a day-to-day basis. In a raw language it presents a narrative of the mythology surrounding prison gangs and the everyday struggle for power, respect, and life.  Watch the trailer on : http://vimeo.com/67957386

After a short summary and discussion of Butler’s take on gender and performativity and its practical application on our Southern reality, specifically on contemporary South African situation Tertius will present his work and will join the discussion about gender performativity within the male prison community.

Date:             Thursday, 13 February 2014

Time:            15h00 – 17h00

Place:            Training Room 1, 3^rd Level, Merenskey Library, Hatfield Campus, UP

For electronic copies of the reading please contact Polo Moji - polo.moji@up.ac.za, or Martina Vitackova - m.vitackova@gmail.com

A reminder of the First Annual Forum for African Psychology International Conference to be held in Polokwane

Call for Papers

Abstracts are invited for oral and poster presentations in any of the following tracks:

• History of African psychology
• Psychology and culture
• Indigenous/Traditional healing in dialogue
• Themes and issues in African psychology
• African psychology and ethics
• Culture and human development
• Psychopathology in the context of culture
• Psychological interventions
• Assessment
• Epistemology and Research methods in African Psychology

Please take note of the following:

• Abstracts received after the deadline will not be accepted and will therefore not be considered for the programme or for publication.
• Abstract should be submitted electronically by clicking the "register" link.
•  All abstracts must be written in English
• Submission of an abstract does not constitute registration for the congress.
• Abstracts will be blind peer-reviewed by the Scientific Program Committee and external reviewers.

CLOSING DATE FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION IS 31 JANUARY 2014

For more info:   http://www.ul.ac.za/conf/main/application/FAP2013/index.php?Entity=FAP2013:Call%20for%20Papers&theConf=82

4th Apartheid Archive Conference: 21-23 May 2014

RACE, SPACE, LOCATION, DISLOCATION: THEN AND NOW

4th Apartheid Archive Conference

UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

21-23 May 2014

1st Call for Papers

The aim of this conference is to explore reflections of the racial engineering of city spaces, locations and dislocations in the narratives contained in the Apartheid Archive, its effects on all aspects of the lived realities of ordinary South Africans during this period, and the echoes of this engineering in the occupation, usage and continued racial fragementation of city spaces and social life in contemporary South Africa – 20 years after the transition to a fully enfranchised and democratic political dispensation.
We invite all those interested in the study of race and space in pre- and post-1994 South Africa, to submit podium presentation, panel discussion, dramatic art, and visual art exhibition abstracts for this 4th Apartheid Archive Conference.

Abstract Submission Forms

Download and complete the abstract submission form by clicking here. Completed forms can be submitted to Marinda Maree at: marinda.maree@up.ac.za This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Potential thematic areas

• Geographies of race
• Race and urbanities
• Families, locations and dislocations
• Spaces and communities
• Transits and transitions
• Migrants, movement and city spaces
• City spaces, work spaces
• Cities and identities
• Race, space, memory
• City spaces, arts spaces

Enquiries

• Marinda Maree
• E-mail: marinda.maree@up.ac.za This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Tel: + 27 12 420 2505

Conference Co-sponsors

• Apartheid Archive Project
• Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria
• School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

CSSR - Applications for the position of post-doctoral scholar for 2014 are invited

The Critical Studies in Sexualities and Reproduction (CSSR) research programme is a multi-disciplinary programme funded by the National Research Foundation South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI), the Andrew W Mellon Foundation, SANPAD, Rhodes University and the British Academy International Mobility Grant. It draws on the expertise of a number of researchers both within Rhodes University and at universities/NGOs in South Africa and across the world.

Applications for the position of post-doctoral scholar for 2014 are invited. The successful candidate will conduct research in the broad area of the research programme (see further details in attached as well the web-site: http://www.ru.ac.za/criticalstudies/ ). The contract will initially be for one year, extendable for a second year depending on performance. The value of the post-doctoral award is R140 000 per annum (tax-free). Running costs of the research conducted by the successful candidate will be covered by the CSSR budget.

Candidates should be in possession, or nearing completion, of a PhD in a Social Science discipline. A background in narrative and/or discursive methodologies is a requirement.

To apply, please send the following documentation to the project administrator, Annie Fleischack, on annie.fleischack@gmail.com  on or before 6 December 2013:

• Covering letter outlining your interest in the position and research programme;
• Academic record;
• Curriculum vitae;
• Sample of academic writing (about 20 pages).

For further enquiries, contact Prof Catriona Macleod on c.macleod@ru.ac.za. 

Stealing from the public domain

In order to counter the excessive individualism of mainstream psychology, Community Psychology needs to take seriously notions of collective agency and collective property. How should Community Psychology theorists and practitioners respond to the international battleground concerning individual versus intellectual property? Individuals who illegally download copyrighted material are routinely branded as pirates and as committing intellectual property theft. However, it is also possible to interpret giant corporations' repeated successful attempts to influence legislation to retroactively extend the period of copyright as theft on a grand scale. Corporations in the USA have taken the lead in this, but the most recent example is from the UK - they have just retroactively extended copyright on sound recordings from 50 years to 70 years. More details here - http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131107/18153025175/copyright-extension-goes-into-effect-uk-more-works-stolen-public-domain.shtml .

Conference March 2014: Forum of African Psychology

Dear Colleagues,

Here is a conference to look forward to… http://www.ul.ac.za/conf/main/application/FAP2013/index.php?Entity=FAP2013:Call%20for%20Papers&theConf=82 Call for PapersAbstracts are invited for oral and poster presentations in any of the following tracks:

• History of African psychology

• Psychology and culture

• Traditional healing

• Themes and issues in African psychology

• African psychology and ethics

• Culture and human development

• Psychopathology in the context of culture

• Psychological interventions

Kindly note that the closing date for abstract submission has been extended.

For more information contact Puleng Segalo at segalpj@unisa.ac.za