CAWLS’ 8th annual conference, as part of Congress 2022, will take place online from May 17th-19th.
Unity in Disarray
Though the end of the pandemic may be in sight, its impact will likely be felt for years to come. The pandemic intensified many societal rifts, calling upon us to confront the extent to which solidarity among different factions of the working class may be (re)negotiated and maintained. This year’s conference theme “Unity in Disarray” may be taken in at least two different ways: One, that there is ongoing unity within the working class, despite the wider, societal disarray, or two that unity within the working class itself is in disarray.
We invite submissions that speak to the conference theme, as well as submissions on any other topic relevant to the study of work and labour, broadly construed. Our goal is to create a final conference programme reflective of the broadest range of methodological, theoretical, and disciplinary themes and approaches. The conference’s scope is broad and includes but is not limited to the following topics:
- The relationship between the labour movement and BIPOC workers and communities;
- Theoretical approaches to working-class solidarity and unity-building in the context of intra-union division;
- Racialization, nationality, gender, sexuality, class, age, and ability, and their implications for the politics of labour and the future of the labour movement in Canada and beyond;
- The ‘she-cession’ and proposals for solutions to overcome the attendant retrenchment of women’s progress in the workforce;
- Worker and union engagement with environmental movements and issues;
- Policy approaches and legislative solutions to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion, and their limits;
- An intersectional analysis of work and of labour movements;
- The continuing evolution of digital platforms and their implications for workers;
- Anti-racist and decolonizing approaches to labour studies.
The committee welcomes proposals for single papers, thematic streams, multiple paper panels, roundtables, and workshops. The participation of researchers in union and community settings is encouraged.
Congress 2022 will again take place virtually.
Formats for online presentations could include:
- Traditional: a series of short (7- to 10-minute) live presentations followed by a Q&A.
- Interactive: a series of presentations or papers posted for viewing beforethe conference with a live discussion and Q&A during the conference.
- Panel: A discussion among 3-5 panelists on a common question or issue.
The committee is open to session proposals that incorporate innovative or creative formats to harness this opportunity.
New Voices in Work and Labour Studies: New scholars (graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty/researchers in the first five years of their appointment) are encouraged to indicate their status on their proposal in order to be considered for the New Voices in Work and Labour Studies Prize.
Proposals of up to 250 words as well as questions can be sent to the Program Chair at cawlscongress2022@gmail.com. Please indicate your preferred presentation format at the bottom of your proposal. The organizing committee will try to accommodate different presentation formats as much as possible.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 4, 2022.