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Describe, Act and Intervene? Work and the Social SciencesConference organised by the RapTraC (Rapports entre Travail et Communication) Research GroupThursday 24th May 2018Aix Marseille Université, UFR Arts, Lettres, Langues et Sciences Humaines, Aix-en-Provence, FranceCall for PapersThe transformation of work is one of the hallmarks of our era. Economic and technological developments, the growth of tertiary industries, the ever-growing importance of communication and legal reform have led to the creation of new forms of work: “zero hour” contracts, “flex-time”, the “uberisation” of employment, etc.Two major observations can be made with regard to these changes. Firstly, professional activities are evolving, leading to new definitions of the word “work” itself. Secondly, due in part to the development of communication technology, work seems to take up a growing part of individuals’ lives, blurring the lines between professional life and personal life.It is thus not surprising to note that social science research has followed these developments. Research into work has intensified and diversified, often adopting a critical approach and regularly identifying negative repercussions of the transformation of work for the workers themselves. These findings spark debate on the role of the social sciences, and the potential contributions of social science research, for workers.Following a series of interdisciplinary seminars focusing on the relationships between language, communication and work, the RapTraC research group is organising a one-day conference entitled “Describe, Act and Intervene? Work and the Social Sciences”. The aim of the conference is to explore the articulation between research and intervention in terms of the scientific study of work. In order to do so, the RapTraC team wishes to bring together researchers, participants or workers in order to discuss the following questions: Can social science research contribute to optimising work for individuals? How? What kinds of intervention can be used? How does research become applied? Has there been an evolution in the way in which work is dealt with and defined in scientific research? What kind of innovative developments have appeared in the social sciences in relation to the changes in work? Do such evolutions have consequences for workplace interventions or the application of research findings? What should the place of researchers be in terms of intervening in the workplace? Should researchers intervene? Do researchers have an obligation to do so?We invite any interested parties to submit proposals for presentations which respond to one (or more) of these questions, or to any question relative to the articulation between research and intervention when considering the scientific study of work. Proposals may focus either on research, on intervention or more particularly on the articulation between these two elements.Given the RapTraC team’s commitment to interdisciplinarity, proposals from all scientific disciplines are welcome. In order to orient the focus of the conference, the organising committee proposes to put people (back) at the centre of the concept of “work” and at the centre of research into work. Thus we particularly encourage proposals dealing with the following themes: The make-up, the repercussions and/or the reduction of workload in all of its aspects, whether they be physical, psychological, linguistic, social, etc. Inclusion and exclusion and the workplace, both in terms of access to the workplace and in terms of exclusion at or because of the workplace. The organisation, administration and management of the work environment from all perspectives (physical, social, digital, psychological, etc.) and their effects on workers. Representations of work and their influence on research and/or intervention. The role of interdisciplinarity in research and/or intervention in professional settings.These suggested themes are not exhaustive and we invite any proposals dealing with articulating social science research and intervention in the workplace.Proposal SubmissionThe format of presentations will be 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes for discussion.In order to submit a proposal, please send a PDF, Word or OpenOffice document containing your first name and surname, your affiliation, the title of your presentation and an abstract (300 words max.), accompanied by a short bibliography to the following address: raptrac2018@gmail.com.The deadline for proposal submission is Tuesday 10th April 2018.Notifications of acceptance will be sent no later than Friday 20th April 2018.Presentations may be in English or French. Proposals should be written in the language of presentation.Publication of a selected number of communications will be organised.Practical InformationDate: 24/05/2018Venue: Egger Building/Maison de la Recherche, Aix-Marseille Université, UFR ALLSH, 29 avenue R. Schuman, Aix-en-Provence (France)Registration Fees: FreeWebsite: www.raptrac.hypotheses.orgContact: raptrac2018@gmail.comDownload the Call for Papers