Climate change – European Community Psychology Association

Special Issue “Youth Climate Activism and Sustainable Civic and Political Engagement”

Guest editors: Prof. Dr. Elvira Cicognani – Dr. Maria Fernandes-Jesus

Deadline for paper submission: June, 30, 2021

Youth civic and political engagement, the factors and processes that explain why and how young people mobilise to address social issues in their local communities, as well as more global issues (e.g., climate change) have been topics of considerable interest and have been addressed from a range of disciplinary and theoretical perspectives and using different methodological approaches (quantitative, qualitative, etc.), including civic and citizenship education interventions. However, while youth climate activism has been increasing in quantity and scale, we know little about young people’s voices, political agency and knowledge around climate change, their motives for participating, and the emotional aspects related to their engagement. This Special Issue aims to collect theoretical and empirical contributions, as well as evaluations of participatory interventions, focusing on “sustainable” youth engagement and participation. Two aspects of the concept will be considered: (a) youth civic and political engagement on sustainability issues (e.g., environmental issues, climate change, social justice) and (b) what factors and processes make youth civic and political engagement and activism “sustainable” (sustainability of the process of participation, in terms of its quality and impact on the participants and on external conditions, e.g., social change). We are interested in contributions addressing different forms and means of participation (individual, collective; online and ICT-supported engagement; etc.) that can illuminate the factors and processes that explain youth engagement with environmental and climate-change-related issues and its persistence, as well as its impact on internal and external conditions. We encourage contributions using mixed methods and following interdisciplinary and participatory approaches.

Further information can be found here

Announcements

Call for applications – Student collaborators to co-develop the ECPA-SCRA online webinar series

European Community Psychology Association (ECPA) in collaboration with the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA) is organising an online webinar series, composed of five online webinar sessions. Each webinar will focus on key societal challenges and domains for community psychologists, such as borders and migrant justice; feminisms and gender-based violence; violence and resistance in transgender, queer and gender-nonconforming communities; climate/environmental justice; community mental health and homelessness; the prison-industrial complex and abolitionist struggles; decolonising academic knowledge and practices. For each webinar, scholars from ECPA and SCRA respectively will be invited to share their insights with the audience. The series will take place between November 2023 and June 2024. We are looking for one to two European-based students enrolled in a Master or PhD programme with a focus on community psychology to help organise and disseminate the online webinar series. Tasks: Collaborators will help designing the webinar series and identify the ECPA/SCRA scholars to invite for each session. Collaborators will also help disseminate the webinar series and run individual sessions. After each webinar, the two collaborators will finally write a short blogpost with key ideas and discussions coming out of each webinar, or will help ECPA board members finding someone who would be willing to write it. Each of the collaborators will be provided a grant of 450 Euros . Application process: To apply for this opportunity please send a brief description, of no more than two pages, of the webinar series how you will design it. Please indicate title and main topics addressed in each webinar and the reason why these are important for community psychology scholars, activists, and practitioners. Please also provide a brief motivation letter, describing why you are applying for this opportunity and how this role aligns with and contribute to your academic/professional values and trajectory, and what you are looking to learn from it. Applications from Black and ethnic minoritised students are particularly welcome. Applications should be sent via email to ecpa.psychassociation@gmail.com by Friday 22nd September 2023, 24:00h CET. Any application arrived after that deadline will not be considered. A Committee will assess existing applications and candidates will be informed of their outcomes by 16th October 2023. For any query contact: ecpa.psychassociation@gmail.com

Beyond Genders. Intersectionality between theory and practice. Interdisciplinary gazes.

November 24-25, 2023 University of Turin CIRSDe (Interdisciplinary Center for Women’s and Gender Research and Studies – University of Turin is organizing the international conference Beyond Genders. Intersectionality between theory and practice. Interdisciplinary gazes. The conference aims to foster a multidisciplinary debate and to explore the state of the art of research and reflections on intersectionality. What are the perspectives through which intersectionality has developed over the years, and what are its applications? What makes its implementation complex, and what are the pitfalls to its effective applicability? Why do some areas of study seem to have a more fluid dialogue with this concept while others still prove refractory? What are the most effective research methods, and why? How is the concept of intersectionality being explored and debated in different disciplines? How can an intersectional perspective be developed in global contexts that necessarily have to come to terms with a past of colonialism and oppression? People interested in participating may submit a contribution: the deadline for abstract submission is June 15, 2023. More details can be found here

Call for papers | Symposium on Community, Psychology and Climate Justice

This symposium focuses on psychology and climate justice through the lens of community. Selected papers will be invited to submit a chapter to an edited collection after the symposium. Please submit extended abstracts of no more than 800 words covering one more of the above topics. The closing date for abstract submissions is 30 March 2023.