Convention Theme 2009

The theme of the Toronto convention continues Frank Farley's focus on the larger picture and reflects my long standing interests in the relationship between the huge societal shifts occurring as we move into the global age and the structure and process of consciousness. We wish to address the issue of Persons of Tomorrow: Humanizing the Emerging Global Society. We are looking for presentations with any one of three foci:

1. The inner world of consciousness, existence and identity 

2. The social world of community 

3. Appropriate epistemology and methods of inquiry for a non-Eurocentric science.

We encourage sessions that are not necessarily presentations. Think of round tables, dialogues, and workshops as well as qualitative research, including case studies.  The division is contributing 1 hour to the President James Bray’s “Convention within a Convention,” (see APA website) and 1 to the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues’ (SPSSI) multi-division proposal to the Commission on Division-APA Relations (CODAPAR) for an event that includes a community engagement in Toronto with one of the most challenged neighborhoods. This will begin with a learning journey to the neighborhood hosted by a Toronto SPSSI group followed by some debriefing sessions in the convention.  We have also agreed to donate an hour to the Divisions for Social Justice this year. In all these "donated hours" we get to select the presentations from those submitted to us through Division 32.