Suomeksi
In English
På svenskaA global epidemic of mental ill-health? Interdisciplinary perspectives on the educational implications of reconfiguring social, economic and human crises
04.06.2015 - 06.06.2015 | University of Helsinki
AGORA warmly welcomes everyone interested to a workshop A global epidemic of mental ill-health? Interdisciplinary perspectives on the educational implications of reconfiguring social, economic and human crises the 4th and the 5th of June 2015 at University of Helsinki.
Title: A global epidemic of mental ill-health?
Interdisciplinary perspectives on the educational implications of reconfiguring social, economic and human crises
Time: 4th and 5th of June 2015 (5 ECT)
Organizers: AGORA for the study of Social Justice & Equality in education -research centre (University of Helsinki) and Critical Educational Psychology Centre for the Human CEPCH (University of
Sheffield)
To whom: Doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers or anyone interested.
Description:
Responding to discourses of crisis
We seem to be living in an era of multiple crises. In growing number of countries around the world, policy makers, media pundits and researchers depict apochryphal discourses of crisis from parenting and education, to civic engagement and the state of capitalism itself. In these largely unchallenged depictions, concerns about mental health,
emotional well-being and vulnerability, have taken centre stage.
Claims from the World Health Organization that we face a global epidemic of mental ill-health intertwine with claims that we face unprecedented levels of civic disengagement, educational disaffection, poor parenting and economic recession. And in many countries, educational settings have become key sites for intervention.
It does seem that there is a crisis of mental health. Rising numbers of children, young people and adults are diagnosed with a widening array of syndromes, disorders and other psychological conditions, or simply as vulnerable. Alongside a huge rise in prescribed drugs, governments respond with universal interventions and programmes in kindergarten/nurseries, schools, vocational, adult and higher education, that aim to develop competences and attributes of emotional literacy, emotional management, resilience, empathy and self-esteem.
And the language of trauma, abuse, stress, anxiety, depression and vulnerability is everywhere, from policy texts to everyday work and home conversations, and teachers discussions about their students.
But is there a crisis of mental ill-health? Can we explain a preoccupation with mental health as a re-defining of everyday life and challenges as part of what some sociologists and educationalists call therapeutic culture? Is a crisis of mental ill-health a conspiracy promoted by governments who need to find a way to stop us confronting intractable structural social and economic crisis by passing blame to individuals weak psychological resilience? And what images of human subjects are implicated in these discourses and questions? What should be the role of education, at all levels, in addressing these questions?
Exploring crises
To explore these difficult ethical and political questions, this international, multidisciplinary workshop will be the first time that researchers from the fields of education, sociology and psychology are brought together to compare whats happening in Finland and England.
These countries are compelling examples for comparison: in response to the discourses of crisis, England has led the world in educational interventions for mental health and emotional well-being, while Finland is beginning to respond to and adopt these discourses.
The questions we are exploring are difficult, controversial and contested and it is rare to bring together competing perspectives through constructive, robust and open debate. We will combine theoretical, methodological and empirical perspectives from educational sociology and psychology, feminist and disability studies, gender studies, childhood and youth studies.
Deadline for abstract submission is the 30th of April (https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/60116/lomake.html).
More information from AGORA website:
Lue lisää/ilmoittaudu
