International Conference

Languaging, Embodiment and Cognition

Southwest University, Chongqing, China

22-25^th November 2019

In pursuing radical embodiment, Languaging, Embodiment and Cognition pursue show human observing-acting can be used to rebalance well-being in the ecology. The opportunity arises from tracing life’s enabling conditions to, not brains or discourse, but how people cooperate in a sense-saturated world of finely coordinated action. Connecting to the Chinese sociocultural context, the conference links ecological concerns to how body, culture and history concert face-to-face activity. In so doing so, the conference introduces ecological, enactive and radically embodied perspectives of cognition to a wider Chinese audience while striving to place these intellectual traditions in the service of urgent practical ends.

Interactivity and radical embodiment

Since 2012, the International Society for the Study of Interactivity, Language and Cognition has focused on radical embodiment –tracing human and linguistic powers to a history of coordinated action. In turning from inner language-systems and ‘use’, one asks how people mesh interactivity (sense-saturated coordination) with languaging (activity in which wordings play a part). This opens up new ways of conceiving how groups and individuals are enabled and constrained by local ways of acting and thinking. Language, cognition and life become intertwined activities whose unfolding will shape the future of evolution.

Ecological Psychology

While many take wide views of cognition (as embrained, embodied, embedded, enacted, extended, etc.), ecological psychology emphasizes the materiality of language and cognition. From the perspective of radical embodiment, language and cognition arise in collective settings as humans unite species-specific dispositions with how personal experience transforms their ways of acting and understanding. Looking beyond discourse, we find that scientific, social and ethical concerns are, to a great extent, shaped by linguistic expertise, skill and practices.

Languaging, Embodiment and Cognition

The conference on Languaging, Embodiment and Cognition will create a transdisciplinary domain that (1) brings together leading researchers from China and the rest of the world in dialogue about state of the art research in embodied and ecological interactivity, language, and cognition;  (2) links this theme with acting to stem biological degradation and build eco-civilizations that can nurture new concern for sustaining life on earth.

These themes are motivated by using a radical embodied perspective in striving to overcome ecological degradation and the poor quality of life. In pursuing ways of creating eco-civilizations much can be gained by pursuing how human agency links practices, interactivity and languaging (as, at once, dynamic and symbolic). On such a view, humans become caring agents who alone, in organisations, and in communities act to change themselves, create social realities and, in so doing, find themselves responsible for the future of the living world.

The working language of the conference is English. The conference invites papers on the following themes:

1. Radical embodiment: the materiality of language and cognition
2. Languaging, language and the ‘ecology of mind’
3. Social agency, cognition, and problem-solving: practical implication
4. Interactivity and its role in enhancing human effectiveness
5. Enriching the living world by drawing on human sense-making

Call for Papers

Conference papers can be submitted either as an oral or a poster presentation. Paper abstracts (maximum 300 words, including the full name, affiliation, and email address) should be submitted to the conference email: swucis_huiwu@126.com by Aug. 31, 2019. Speakers will be notified by Sept. 30, 2019.

Plenary Speakers

Stephen Cowley

Elena Cuffari

Guowen Huang

Alexander Kravchenko

Angie Makri

Chris Sinha

Sune Vork Steffensen

Georg Theiner

Xu Wen

...

Registration and Fees

Registration is required for all presenters and participants of the conference. The standard registration fee for the conference is RMB 1000. The registration fee for full-time students (copy of student ID required) is RMB 500. The registration fee may be paid on-site. Please note that the fee covers the conference pack, refreshments, meals during conference and certificate for participation. The fee does NOT cover travel, accommodations or other fees not specified.

Accommodation

University-based or off-campus hotel rooms will be reserved for conference presenters and participants. If you are interested, please contact us at swucis_huiwu@126.com and we will help make the reservation.

Further information

Website:http://foreign.swu.edu.cn/viscms/foreignidex/xueshukanban8513/20190402/435788.html

Mail: swucis_huiwu@126.com (Si Weiguo); flxqliu@scut.edu.cn (Liu Xiqin)

WeChat: 13996226452

Phone: +86-23-68252315 (He Qiang)