First Annual National Conference on Social Work
With and For Men

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

Submission Deadline:  October 31, 2007

Download Call for Abstracts in PDF

Download Abstract Submission Form in Word

Purpose of Conference

This interdisciplinary conference will bring together educators, graduate students, practitioners, and researchers to discuss the challenges men face that result from life-course transitions in contemporary society.  Also to be discussed will be those strategies that can best address these challenges. 

It is believed that the majority of literature focusing upon men has presented them in a rather negative stereotypical manner, as being abusive to others, absent from parental responsibilities, excessive users of alcohol or drugs, deviant or criminal, or incarcerated, among others.  To offset such a biased portrayal of men, this conference wishes to present a more balanced approach to the challenges faced by men.  Accordingly, the conference planning committee has set the following general parameters for abstracts, to be considered by reviewers, which reflect the intended focus for the conference:

·        Discussion of non-pathological or non-deviant groups of men,

·        Challenges faced by men in their life-course transitions, such as family and marital dynamics, interpersonal relationships, and re-entry,

·        Social and psychological challenges, in addition to physical health ones,

·        A strength-based perspective in efforts to assist men,

·        Experience working directly with men, as opposed to functioning at administrative levels, and

·        Information with an applied perspective useful to those in helping professions.  

The decision has been made to have this first conference on men focus on general issues and general populations of men, rather than targeting specific issues, problem areas, or groups of men.  Of course, the impact of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and age can be considered as contributing factors in the paper or poster.  The School of Social Work plans to hold subsequent conferences in future years that target specific issues/problems or groups of men.     

Submission Instructions

The conference organizers are hereby soliciting abstracts of papers and/or posters to be presented during the conference.  Abstracts for paper presentations and posters can address practice/program experiences or research studies that focus upon two general groups of men:  (1) those men who are not a part of formal service systems and may be "invisible" to service providers and (2) those who are male clients, patients, or program participants in social, psychological, and/or health care settings.  It is expected each abstract will describe applied conclusions in a manner that will offer insight for others.

The conference will focus upon practice experiences or research findings focusing upon the normative needs and special challenges faced by men undergoing life-course transitions, such as marriage or divorce, parenthood, employment or unemployment, retirement, illness and disability, discharge from the military, reentry from institutional settings, becoming a caregiver, and aging and old age, among others.  The conference also will seek to understand reasons why men may or may not engage in preventive health care, help-seeking behavior, utilize effective coping mechanisms, and be attracted to and use different types of programs or interventions.  We are hoping to receive abstracts that will not reflect biased or stereotypical portrayals of men, but rather will reflect a strengths-based perspective that will provide balanced and applied information to benefit conference participants.  It is also hoped that although an abstract might focus upon a particular group of men, transition or problem, or practice setting, efforts will be made for discussing the general application of findings for other groups of men than those being discussed.

You are invited to submit an abstract of one of two types:  Paper Presentation or Poster Display.  Please submit an abstract of 250 words or less and indicate your preference for a paper presentation or a poster.   Abstracts that report on research should describe purpose, methods, results, and implications for practice, education, or policy.   Abstracts that report on practice experiences should describe the male population of interest, the program or intervention, and the learned experiences or outcomes.  

Check http://www.sw.ua.edu/newsevents/mensconference08.html for abstract submission and/or conference registration instructions.  Abstract submissions may be submitted by postal mail or by

e-mail.   

If your abstract is accepted by the Conference Review Committee (composed of academics and practitioners), you will be expected to register for the conference. Notifications of decisions regarding abstracts will be sent out by the Committee to each author or senior author no later than December 15, 2007.

Mail the Abstract Form located on the website (including information on up to three co-authors) and the Abstract to the following:

National Conference on Social Work With and For Men

The School of Social Work
Box 870314
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0314

Or

Email to: uamensconference@gmail.com

Please attach this form (including information on up to three co-authors) and the Abstract

Criteria for Review of Abstracts

Each abstract should be no longer than 250 words and include title, name and affiliation of all authors, and the address (postal and e-mail) of the senior author.  Abstracts will be sought that meet the following criteria:

• Conform to conference's substantive parameters
• Originality of  ideas, findings, or experiences
• Clarity of proposal
• Quality of writing

Presentation Formats

Posters:

·        Display research/practice material on a 3X4 board

·        Emphasized will be personal dialogue with conference participants

·        Poster displays will take place during a one hour block on the first day during which time each presenter is expected to be present at the poster

·        Papers:

·        Sessions will be organized by a common topic/theme

·        Each presentation will be no longer than 10 minutes with 5 minutes for Q&A

·        Each session will be chaired by an invited facilitator

Notification, Attendance, & Registration

All abstract submissions must be received by the end of the day on OCTOBER 31, 2007.  

By December, 15, 2007, letters will be e-mailed to the first author regarding the status of each submission. First authors are asked to notify co-authors of their abstract acceptance, as well as the presentation type (i.e., paper or poster).  If e-mail notification is not received by the end of December, contact a member of the conference planning staff at http://www.sw.ua.edu/newsevents/mensconference08.html. If accepted, the first author (and all co-authors attending the conference) will be expected to register for the conference by no later than January 31, 2008.  Shortly thereafter, the first author will be notified of the date, time period, and room location for the presentation or poster. 

All persons attending the National Conference on Social Work With and For Men are required to register and pay the registration fee.  This includes authors and co-authors of paper presentations and poster displays, panelists, and session chairpersons.  For further information, or if you have any questions, either go to http://www.sw.ua.edu/newsevents/mensconference08.html or contact one of us.

Jordan I. Kosberg, Ph.D., jkosberg@sw.ua.edu

Barbara Chandler, MSW, bachandl@sw.ua.edu

Conference Coordinators