Call for Papers

MIND, EMOTION, AND MYTHIC THINKING

A symposium for scholars of cultural studies and artistic research in
9th of May 2018, Helsinki, Finland

Mind, emotion, and mythic thinking is a symposium for young cultural studies scholars that also welcomes the views of artistic researchers. It brings together different perspectives in study of mind, emotion, and cognition primarily from folklore research but also from other fields of cultural studies as well as art.

The symposium aims to look into mythic thinking, discourse and vernacular worldview and how they relate with emotion and/or cognition. Mythic thinking is the process of thinking and experiencing through signs, structures and stories of mythology. In this sense, myths are seen as emotionally invested, culturally meaningful symbols, that offer ways of knowing and understanding history, origins and the organization of the world. These symbols circulate socially and are manipulated in what is known as mythic discourse. This discourse includes the ways in which mythic thinking is communicated, reinforced or contested. The overall theme of the symposium focuses on intersections of emotion or mind and discourses of mythic thinking.

Keynote speaker: Prof. John McKinnell (University of Durham)

We welcome proposals for papers and posters on topics including, but not limited to:

  • Methods of analysis – text, performance and meaning
  • Reflections of mythical world in emotional expression
  • Emotional path to the other world
  • Mind and mythic thinking – cognitive approaches
  • Dynamics and variation of individual performances in relation with collective mythology
  • Us and the other – myths and mythic thinking as ground for community-building
  • Mythic thinking, emotion and artistic work

The symposium is especially for young scholars*, doctoral students, and we also welcome promising master’s degree students. We encourage multi-disciplinary approaches and new openings in fields of cultural and art research.

If you would like to participate with a paper (20 min presentation + 10 min discussion) or poster, please send a title of your proposal and a 300-word abstract with full name, affiliation, and contact e-mail to viliina.silvonen@helsinki.fi by 16th February 2018. The committee will confirm the presentations latest at the beginning of March 2018. We aim to get respondents for presentations, and for them we need a draft of presentations two weeks before the symposium.

For further information, please contact viliina.silvonen@helsinki.fi.

*We don’t have age limit, also postdocs are welcome.

The symposium is organized by Folklore Studies, University of Helsinki, and Mythology, Verbal Art and Authority in Social Impact Project.