Call for Communications
Although thoroughly studied by live science specialists for the last three decades, East-African athletics has seldom caught attention of social and human scientists. In the meantime, the running phenomenon has locally reached an unprecedented level of development in some areas of Kenya and Ethiopia and is now affecting numerous sectors of social life: economic development, domestic and international migrations, development of sport activities and infrastructures, inter alia. In the regions touched by this phenomenon, gender issues and participation of disabled people have also raised as relevant topics of interest. Studying East-African runners under the social science perspective also represents a break with the tradition of reducing them to their biology (genetics) or their environment (altitude), opening a new field of research on the social determinants of their performances.
Considering that the social sciences, namely history, sociology, anthropology, psychology, economy, political science, etc.have not yet been enough mobilized to study this field of activity and the numerous nexus between athletics and society, the 29th, 30th June and 1st July conference in the Addis Ababa University intends to give the opportunity to junior and senior scientists from either sport sciences or social and human sciences to present communications on any subject related to East-African athletics. Non-academic specialists of East-African athletics are also invited to submit applications, as well of specialists of athletics (especially running) in other parts of the world.
The communications are expected to present research works based on empirical and/or first-hand data. Applications will be assessed by an international scientific committee co-chaired by Dr. Manuel Schotté (Univ. Lille, France) and Dr. Bezabeh Wolde (AAU Sp Sc Dept) and composed of senior scholars with competences in either East-African studies or social and human sciences applied to sport. A selection of the best communications will be published in a collective book.
Communications will last 20 minutes, plus a 10 minute discussion session with audience. Topics to be addressed include, but are not restricted to:
- Athletics and Migrations
- Athletics and Gender
- Athletics-Generated Local Economic Development
- Athletics Institutions and Networks
- Sporting Socialization of Runners
- Athletics and Discriminations
- Psychology and Athletics
- Athletics and Disabilities
- Ethnography of Running
- Local Somatic Cultures and Athletics
- History of East-African Athletics
- Side topics: Running from other parts of the world, others disciplines of East-African athletics (field events), communications from sciences other than social sciences.
Proposals of communication should be submitted in English, on a maximum one page document, by email to benoit.gaudin@ird.fr and should include the following items: name and affiliation of the applicant, 3 to 5 keywords, title of the communication, abstract of the communication and type of data collected. Communicants employed by or registered in an African institution of higher education are eligible, under conditions, to reimbursement of their airplane ticket to and from Addis Ababa. Women are encouraged to apply.
Deadline for application: January 15, 2015.
Organizing Committee: Dr. Solomon Teka (AAU Sp. Sc Dept), Dr. Bezabeh Wolde (AAU Sp Sc Dept), Dr. Tesfaye Asgedom (AAU Sp Sc Dept), Dr. Benoit Gaudin (IRD-AAU Sp Sc Dept) and Onesmos Amberas (AAU Int Rel).
