[URBANTH-L] CFP: Understanding Health and Well-Being in Africa and its Diasporas

[Angela Jancius]

Understanding Health and Well-Being in Africa and its Diasporas, African 
Heritage Studies Association 39th Annual International Conference

CALL FOR PAPERS - Revised Abstract Deadline: July 15.

Proposals are invited for panels, roundtables, and poster sessions for the 
African Heritage Studies Association's 39th annual conference to be held at 
the University of South Florida, Tampa, October 19-21.

Conference Theme and Topics: The theme of this year's conference is 
"Understanding Health and Well-Being in Africa and its Diasporas." As the 
social ills associated with modernity penetrate our lives, the phenomenon of 
health security/insecurity has emerged as a global issue that 
disproportionately afflicts the people of Africa and its diasporas. Today, 
the problem of health disparity is attracting heightened scientific 
attention, and there is no shortage of research on acute and chronic health 
problems. This heightened attention is more often than not set within a 
biomedical frame of what constitutes health and well-being, but at the same 
time, there is growing awareness that illness is not simply a biomedical 
phenomenon.

The crisis of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, hypertension, 
diabetes, respiratory ailments, etc. are well known. But less on the 
forefront of our consciousness as directly health-related are the 
intractable economic, political, environmental, racial, ethnic, social, 
military, and other historically created social ills and vulnerabilities. 
Illness is a function of the social, cultural and environmental worlds we 
create by our collective histories. According to this view, physical and 
mental illness are symptoms of complex and often long-term adverse social 
policies and cultural directions. This view invites questions as to the 
adequacy of definitions, investigative strategies, explanations, diagnoses, 
and solutions based on a system of knowledge anchored in epistemic power 
relations forged over centuries.

The conference encourages bold questions about health security/insecurity 
and its inseparable link to the political economy of Africa and its 
diasporas. Conference participants are encouraged to view health 
security/insecurity in the broadest terms, allowing for rethinking of the 
basic concepts by which we understand the well-being of a people. This is an 
interdisciplinary conference, and participation is invited from academics as 
well as other professionals, from faculty and from graduate students. 
Presenters may address any of the following or related topics as panels, 
individual papers, round tables, or poster presentations. Possible topics 
include but are not limited to:

. Health security as a cultural and historical condition
. Health disparities: race, color, class, culture, gender, age and health
. Knowledge, power, and conceptions of health
. Indigenous knowledge and conceptions of health and well-being
. Economic security and health
. Globalization, migration, and health
. Social organization: family, sexuality, youth and health
. Mental health and its varied conceptions
. Health, legal and political rights, and self-determination
. Human rights, human security, and health
. Healing: art, science, spirit
. Natural and un-natural disasters and health
. Culture, environment, and sustainable health

Panel Proposals: Submissions are encouraged for panels of 3-4 presenters and 
a discussant. Panel proposals should contain the following:

1. A titled abstract describing the panel topic in no more than 125-150 
words
2. A list of all participants with contact information (address, telephone 
number, e-mail address) and institutional affiliation
3. A titled abstract of each individual presentation
4. Designation of panel Chair and Discussant
5. A list of audio and/or video equipment that will be needed
Individual Paper Submissions: Individual paper proposals should contain a 
titled abstract of 75-100 words, 3-4 key words, and the name, title, 
position/rank, address, phone number, e-mail address and institutional 
affiliation of presenter.

Round Table Proposals: Submissions should contain the same items as the 
panel proposal, with the following exceptions: omit the abstract of 
individual presenters; use the term "round table" instead of "panel"; and 
include an abbreviated curriculum vita for each participant.

Poster Sessions: Submissions should contain the same items as individual 
paper proposals, with the following exceptions: omit key words; and state 
equipment needs.

We prefer electronic submissions as attachments in MS Word/WordPerfect 
formats (to africana at cas.usf.edu), but hard copies may also be mailed to: 
Program Chair, AHSA Annual Conference, Department of Africana Studies, 
University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620; 
phone (813) 974-2427

Note: Web submission will be available by mid May at 
http://www.cas.usf.edu/africana_studies/.
Deadline for Submissions: July 15, 2006

Information on registration, hotels and transportation will be published 
later at http://www.cas.usf.edu/africana_studies. For further information, 
contact us at africana at cas.usf.edu.

Program Chair, AHSA Annual Conference
Department of Africana Studies
University of South Florida
4202 East Fowler Avenue
Tampa, Florida 33620
phone (813) 974-2427
Email: africana at cas.usf.edu
Visit the website at http://www.cas.usf.edu/africana_studies