WINIR Young Scholars Pre-Conference Workshop
Bridging Divides
Institutional Theory & the Dynamics of Coexistence in Global Societies
Center for Governance and Markets
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
18 September 2024
Co-organised with
The Law as Science Project, INET’s Young Scholars Initiative (YSI), and Center for Governance and Markets
Institutional theory can be used as a starting point to help us look at how societies with deep cultural and political differences can coexist peacefully and thrive amidst the challenges posed by globalization and technological revolutions.
Although institutional theory is the focus, we welcome submissions that shed light on how societies are navigating these differences, whether theoretical, empirical, or both. Papers can examine bottom-up grassroots initiatives, top-down policy reforms, or efforts to build pluralism that sit at the intersection of both or that develop new paradigms altogether.
This WINIR Young Scholars Workshop, organized on the day preceding the WINIR Conference on Resilience & Recovery, aims to scrutinise existing governance and social arrangements to manage growing disparities, exacerbated by information technology, immigration, and cultural exchanges, leading to a crisis in political and governance frameworks. It engages a fundamental question: How are individuals, communities, and societies working to overcome the deep divisions that result from the growing polarisation evident in most countries around the world?
We welcome papers that explore, but are not limited to, the following areas:
● Mechanisms of institutional adaptation and resilience in the face of increasing polarisation, and emerging socio-political and economic divides;
● Case studies of governance systems responding to economic, political or environmental crises;
● The role of technology in creating or resolving deep differences;
● Comparative analysis of institutional responses to crises across different regions and contexts;
● New theoretical frameworks to approach profound differences and institutional crises.
Eligibility and Funding
This call is open to PhD students and early career researchers (within three years of obtaining a PhD) from all disciplines. Projects based in or relating to the Global South are of particular interest. With the generous contribution of the Center for Governance and Markets at the University of Pittsburgh, selected participants may receive partial funding in respect of travel and accommodation expenses for their participation in the pre-conference event and main conference.
Submission Guidelines
Please prepare an abstract (400 words max), outlining the research question, the methodology, and the main findings, along with 3-5 keywords. Please ensure that the abstract makes explicit reference to concepts and theories related to the study of institutions (see here). Please include a one-paragraph biographical statement that highlights your current PhD programme or postdoc situation and includes your discipline and institution, and an up-to-date CV.
Please subit your materials in PDF form and label them LastName.FirstName.AbstractBio.pdf and LastName.FirstName.CV.pdf.
Submissions should be sent using this form.
Key Dates
31 May 2024 – Submission deadline
15 June 2024 – Notifications of acceptance
Please address all inquiries to youngscholars@winir.org.
About WINIR Young Scholars
WINIR Young Scholars (WYS) aims to identify and promote the next generation of institutional scholars from diverse geographies, sociocultural contexts and disciplines. Its major activities are directed towards creating an inclusive and supportive space for young scholars to receive guidance and mentorship in their journey toward establishing themselves as knowledge creators and navigating the academic job market.
WYS is a collaboration between the World Interdisciplinary Network for Institutional Research (WINIR), the Law as Science Project, and the Young Scholars Initiative (YSI) of the Institute for New Economic Thinking.
Convenors: Christina Mosalagae (YSI INET, Italy), Nikhilesh Sinha (Hult International Business School, UK), Vanessa Villanueva (European University Institute, Italy) & Simon Sun (Indiana University, USA)
