CFP – European heritages, realities and utopias: the elderly’s consumption of coffee, tea and “leisure” time

CFP: We are opening a call for papers for a panel taking place during the SIEF 2015 12th Congress, in Zagreb Croatia (June 21-25, 2015), and wanted to pass the information on to ENAS members. The panel focuses on ageing in a European context and is also part of  the conference’s “Food” stream because of its topical interest.

Conference:  SIEF 2015 12th Congress, Zagreb, Croatia (June 21-25, 2015)

Panel: European heritages, realities and utopias: the elderly’s consumption of coffee, tea and “leisure” time

Panel Organizers: Lisa Le Fevre (TC, Columbia University and Santa Clara University) and  Brian O’Hare (Columbia University)

Panel Description:
“When exploring conceptions of aging and the life course, media outlets offering the “feel-good” article have often concentrated on topics of enigmatic longevity, an individual’s miraculous ability to perform an activity or quaint gatherings of grandmothers and grandfathers for social causes. While articles such as these draw the public’s attention to “successful aging,” they also hint at the importance of sustained engagement to individual and social life. Researchers and scholars in anthropology, sociology and psychology, have long understood and focused on the importance of social and interpersonal relationships for sustaining healthy and meaningful lifestyles across the life course. As such, this panel takes a look at the heritages, realities and utopias that aging individuals bring to the table when they meet for coffee, tea or other “leisure” activities – particularly in the context of European lifestyles or ancestry. Using ethnographic data conducted during fieldwork and studies in countries such as Bulgaria and Spain, questions that the panel seeks to address ask what exactly is being “consumed” during these meetings, what are the intentional/unintentional meanings held in such gatherings and how can moments like these become movements to benefit those aging in Europe and beyond.”

Submission Requirements and Deadline:

•         All paper proposals should be submitted electronically at the following link by January 14, 2015: (http://nomadit.co.uk/sief/sief2015/panels.php5?PanelID=3505)

•         Please include the paper’s title, author(s) name(s) and email(s), a short 300 character or less abstract and a longer 250 word or less abstract. More information on the guidelines for submitting papers, and on the conference theme can be found at: (http://www.siefhome.org/congresses/sief2015/cfp.shtml)

•         If you have any further questions, please feel free to email the conveners Lisa Le Fevre  or Brian O’Hare through the submission site at: (http://nomadit.co.uk/sief/sief2015/panels.php5?PanelID=3505)