Amplifying the Concept of "Well-Being": Global and Public Dimensions

This is an International Workshop co-sponsored by George Mason's Department of Sociology and Anthropology, the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, and the Provost's Center for Global Studies. “Amplifying” in this context is a term of rhetoric, referring to the exercise of bringing diverse perspectives into dialogue around a concept (what rhetoricians would call a *topos* or commonplace) in order to make explicit the problematics inherent in that concept, and thereby to expand its meaning. “Well-being” is a term increasingly invoked by universities, corporations, polling organizations and think tanks.   Mason, for example, has made the promotion of “well-being” a prominent part of the university’s new strategic plan.  Mason also boasts the first Ph.D. Program in Public Sociology in the nation.  In amplifying the meaning of well-being through global dialogue, we also aim to inflect it with the concept of public sociology—which, in turn, we aim to inflect with the concept of well-being.

 

How should Well-Being inform a concept of "Public Sociology"?
How should Public Sociology inform a concept of "Well-Being"?

FRIDAY, NOV. 13
MERTEN HALL, RM. 1200

9:30-10:30.  “Real Utopias”
Erik Olin Wright (Wisconsin)

10:30-11:00.  Coffee Break.

11:00-1:00.  “Human Rights”
Cynthia Fuchs Epstein (CUNY)
Joachim Savelsberg (Minnesota)
Jeff Olick (U VA)

1:00-2:00.  Lunch.

2:00-4:00.  “Building Sustainable Communities”
Bill Kornblum (CUNY)
Sebastian Koos (Konstanz/Harvard)
David Inglis  (Exeter)


SATURDAY, NOV. 14
Merten Hall, Rm. 1201

9:30-11:30.  “Re-visioning the Future”
Thomas Eberle  (St. Gallen)
Anna Lisa Tota  (Rome-3)
Trever Hagen  (Exeter)

11:30-12:30.  Lunch

12:30-2:30.  “Issues of Conceptualization and Measurement.”
Margaret Ensminger  (Johns Hopkins)
Gene Halton  (Notre Dame)
Robin Wagner-Pacifici  (New School)

2:30-3:00.  Coffee Break.

3.00-4:00.  Summary and Reflection.