CFP: International Society for Educational Biography

Call for Proposals: The 39th I.S.E.B. Conference 

 Life Stories Across Times and Spaces 

Courtyard Marriott in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 

(Conference site on Webpage: https://isebio.com/index.html) 

Conference Date: October 5-7, 2023 

Submission Deadline: June 15, 2023 

The International Society for Educational Biography (I.S.E.B.) invites proposals for its annual conference, to be held in partnership with The Society of Philosophy and History of Education 

(S.O.P.H.E.), October 5-7, 2023, at the Courtyard by Marriott Oklahoma City Downtown in 

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 

CONFERENCE THEME: This year’s conference theme is Life Stories Across Times and Spaces.  Through the lens of time and space, we offer a robust conference space to examine the diverse forms of life writing characterizing the contemporary field. The genres of life writing include biographies such as Plato’s dialogues to St. Augustine’s Confessions, from 1-minute TikTok clips to the voluminous biographies of Winston Churchill, from Anne Frank’s diary to Princess Diana in The Crown.  We invite proposals with a special focus on the temporal and spatial dimensions of life writing and lives as they unfold as well as their writing and reception. This theme recognizes we are living in historic times that demand rigorous scrutiny and This theme recognizes we are living in historic times that demand rigorous scrutiny and discussion of the boundaries of the past and the present and between here and there. We welcome studies at any stage about biographies of all sorts, lengths, modes, and purposes, with the belief that they illuminate facets of humanity and education. Papers and presentations may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following topics: 

1. Educational biographies: constructions of self, learners, educators, agents, and communities  

2. Life writing in academic discourses and spaces  

3. Life recordings on social media: TikTok, Podcast, and Biopics  

4. From the personal to the political: diaries, biographies, autobiographies, and beyond  

5. Amplifying minoritized and subaltern voices in life writing  

6. Reminiscing about the past and envisioning the future: work, family, and life  

7. Conceptions of memory and time: how personal time, social events, national crises, and historical epochs framing our memories  

8. Theories and practices of life writing: genres, recordings, and reconstructions  

9. Perspectives and genres: autoethnography, testimonio, biography, ethnography, memoir, etc.  

10. Fictionalizing historical figures in books, films, science-fiction  

11. Geographic and spatial tellings: the influence of space and place in life writing  

SUBMISSION POLICIES: 

• Participants: Submissions are welcome from ISEB members, non-members, and independent scholars both inside and outside the US.  Graduate students and international scholars are particularly welcome to submit proposals.  Please note that non-members whose proposals are accepted are expected to become members when registering for the conference, in order to be included in the program.  

• In-Person and Virtual Participation: This conference is primarily an in-person space with opportunities for virtual presentation as well. Virtual presentations can only be offered to individual papers and panel presentations. Speakers of virtual presentations should send 15-minute video clips of their presentations no later than Monday, October 2, to ensure a smooth rendition. The speakers should be available on Zoom during the panel sessions to respond to questions. The speakers should be available on Zoom during the panel sessions to respond to questions.  If the entire panel will be virtual, all presenters must designate the same participation mode.  Virtual presenters pay the same conference fee as in-person participants.  While we will do our best to make the presentation process as seamless as possible, technological glitches are always a risk. 

• Format: Submissions should fall into one of four formats—individual papers, panels, roundtable discussions, and poster sessions.  See below for more details. 

• Abstract link: Participants must submit a title and an abstract (no more than 300 words) by June 15, 2023.  Please submit your abstract here. 

PRESENTATION TYPES: 

1. Individual Papers: Presentations should be 15-20 minutes long. 

1. Panels: This category is for a 90-minute session comprised of three or four presentations on a common topic.  Each panel should have an organizer responsible for submitting the panel proposal.  The proposal must include 1) a title for the panel and titles of individual presentations, and 2) an abstract (up to 500 words) for the panel.  

1. Roundtable Discussion: This category facilitates interactive discussions of issues pertinent to biographies of all types.  Each roundtable lasts for 90 minutes; the panel may have up to seven members.  The panelists should take no more than 45 minutes to present their views and leave the remaining time for interaction with the audience.  The panel organizer should also serve as the moderator.  The proposal must include 1) a title for the roundtable, and 2) a summary (up to 500 words) describing the perspectives and attitudes panelists have toward the topic. 

1. Poster Sessions: We invite submissions for this popular form of presentation posters, where the presenter displays visually a topic relevant to the conference theme and responds to audience’s questions on the spot.  Guidelines are 

1. Time: 60 minutes  

1. Location: Tables in the conference area 

1. Format: Corrugated display board—trifolds opens to roughly 36” x 48” or rollable posters of similar size 

1. Additional Media (optional): Laptops to share photos and brief videos 

FURTHER INFORMATION: For more information, please email smou@depauw.edu or visit https://isebio.com/index.html