SSHA Call for Papers : 49th Annual Meeting of the Social Science History Association
Call for Papers
49th Annual Meeting of the Social Science History Association
Washington DC, USA November 16-19, 2023
Submission Deadline: March 1, 2023
“Pursuits of Wellbeing”
The pursuit to improve our well-being appears to be nearly universal, but agreeing on what signifies improvement and which factors are most important remain endlessly contested. Many seek riches, comfort and leisure, but health and longevity, security of person and property, access to education, and meaningful work are highly desired too. Some point to happiness as a fundamental feature of well-being, yet others seek political voice or freedom as higher priorities.
We expect there to be a relationship between individual and communal well-being, but what shape does that take? And how is it further affected by differences between persons across any of these contributing pursuits?
While the 2023 Program Committee welcomes individual papers or panel proposals on all aspects of social science history, it is especially interested in papers and panels that explore the many facets of well-being. Topics may include but are not restricted to:
• What are the dynamic processes that influence economic and /or social development?
• What factors have led to longer and/or healthier life spans?
• How does education contribute to well-being?
• How is individual or national well-being affected by inequality, either between persons or between nations?
• What role do families play in fostering or supporting individual and communal well-being?
• How is our understanding of well-being shaped by the metrics we use to measure it?
• Are we better off than our forebears, that is, what is the history of well-being?
• How have the definitions of well-being changed historically?
• Do improvements in human well-being come at the expense of the environment?
• What role do or might governments play in the promotion of well-being?
• What can the social sciences contribute to the improvement of global well-being?