Challenges for Democracy: New Developments and Tendencies

Call for Abstracts

The John Dewey Society presents

The Third Annual

Dewey Through Generations Panel

In Creative Democracy – The Task Before Us Dewey reminds us that democracy should not be seen as a political machine which once it is set up would perpetuate its existence automatically. On the contrary, the very existence and health of our democracies depend on conditions which go beyond our immediate political institutions and which concern our family relations, our friendships, our economical organization, etc. In a time where our democratic institutions seem to be endangered by increasing structural inequality, globalization, economic crisis and the reemergence of xenophobic attitudes, we should return to the theoretical resources Dewey has to offer on these present challenges for our democracies.

Hence, in the DtG panel 2017 we propose to explore the following questions:

   

·     How are the latest developments in the democratic life of our societies to be critically assessed? What are the observable tendencies? Are there only reasons to worry or are there reasons also for hope in the recovery and deepening of democracy?

·     What have been the effects of the financial crash of 2008 for our democratic institutions and practices? What can we expect from the reforms brought about by current governments?

·     Are there economic alternatives to capitalism (not only classical, but also in its neoliberal form) which could work as better social foundations for democratic practice?    

·     How do global problems (climate change, wars and conflicts, etc.) affect our democracies? Should we see these global conditions as obstacles, as opportunities, or both?     

The Dewey Through Generations Panel was established in 2015 to highlight and support emerging Dewey inspired scholars and practitioners (including but not limited to graduate students) by bringing them into a dialogue with eminent scholars who reflect the best of Dewey's philosophical practice. One eminent Dewey scholar participates in a dialogue (as commentator/respondent) with the emerging scholar panelists. We are pleased to announce that this year’s Dewey Scholar will be Gregory Pappas (Texas A&M University). For an overview of Dr. Pappas’ scholarship see:

http://philosophy.tamu.edu/pre-CLLA/People/Faculty/Pappas/index.html

Submissions Due: November 15, 2016 (By 11:59 PM, CST)

Graduate students, student-professionals, and emerging scholars, may submit an abstract for the panel. The panel will include three papers/or projects (limited to 3000 words) and commentary by an invited Dewey scholar (limited to 1500 words).

Submit all abstracts (prepared per instructions below) via email with an attachment as an MSWord document. All proposals should be received on or before November 15, 2016, by Just Serrano at dtg@johndeweysociety.org.

Submission guidelines: Part 1 (submit in the body of your email message): (1) Title of your paper; (2) Your name, title/student status, institutional/professional affiliation (if any); (3) Your address, phone, and email; Part 2 (attaches as a MSWord document prepared for blind review): (1) Title of your paper/project; (2) An abstract and/or descriptive summary of your paper/project, explaining your work and its significance, especially in relation to the selected themes(s). All abstracts should be formatted according to Chicago or APA style, with a maximum length of 800 words excluding the title and references.

Please direct all questions to Just Serrano at justserrano@gmail.com. Abstracts accepted for presentation on this panel of the John Dewey Society will be notified by January 15, 2017. Final papers will be due April 2, 2017.