Call for Papers:

2nd International Colloquium on Positive Psychology, Wellbeing and Spirituality
June 16-18, 2025
Turku, Finland
https://linnas.fi/kurssit/icppws/

Deadline for submissions of 300-word abstracts: April 1, 2025

Following on from the success of the inaugural international and interdisciplinary colloquium in Bhubaneswar, India in January 2023, the international PWS research group (Positive Psychology, Wellbeing and Spirituality) will be holding a second academic gathering in TBA, Finland in June 2025. This blind peer reviewed conference will focus on developing greater in-depth understanding of PWS, the interconnectivity between the PWS disciplines and the praxis that engenders high quality PWS organizational outcomes.

Across all disciplines and workplace organizations, the concept of positive psychology, wellbeing and spirituality have begun to surface as critical issues for workplaces, educational organizations and learning centres (Walters, Fitzsimmons, Kasler and Routray 2024). While arguably these areas commenced with the work of Martin Selligman and his concept of ‘learned helplessness and the happiness quotient’, and Czichzenmiahlyi and his development of ‘flow and human happiness’, as a whole the concept of PWS have generated serious research in numerous disciplines and the development of numerous methodologies. Areas such as spirituality, aeronautics, space travel design, religious studies, cognitive science, digital gaming, architecture, philosophy, business, business leadership and management, educational leadership and management, outdoor education, adventure therapy, school-based education and childhood growth and development are now benefitting from an increase in theoretical awareness and practical applications. Given the physiological, psychological, and socio-emotional concerns and pressures humans face in this current era, this forum seeks to give research and practical voice to what it means to define PWS and add further understanding to the evidentiary warrant of this field. As well this colloquium aims to pull together how each discipline speaks to each other as the planet digitally shrinks but the spread of disharmony continues unabated.

Papers could deal with, but are not limited to focal areas and questions such as:

• How does the understanding of PWS as a whole, or within each strand fit into or add to an understanding of each strand or as a whole as found in diverse areas such as literature, popular culture, cinema, dance, drama, or art?
• What is the definition of PWS as understood by various disciplines and how this definition has arisen within specific research paradigms?
• The diversity of nature of PWS forms within specific cultures, or across cultures how these relate to the creation of societal health.
• How have the older forms of ‘well-being’ narratives, understanding and practices migrated into new the digital age?
• Where, why and how the 21st century’s concept of each of the PWS strands started, why they started where they ended in and amongst the current set of discipline understandings and research?
• How can institutions ensure the development of PWS across the spectrum of a child’s growth and development?
• Where does the concept, and practices that lead to wellbeing, fit into current school-based curricula?
• How do the concepts of play based education and student centered learning fit with PWS?
• Where does sexuality fit into the concept of PWS?
• How and where do the elements of PWS fit into the notion of creativity and the creative processes?
• What are the intersection points between PWS and how this cross-section relates to a holistic concept of PWS?
• Where does ‘self,’ and the notion of identity fit with the idea of PWS?
• What other forms of PWS need to be created so as to ensure societal and individual health for the future?
• What do recent case studies of PWS reveal?
• How might PWS support pathways to transcendence?

SUBMISSION

The Steering Group particularly welcomes the submission of joint international research plans, higher degree PWS works in progress, performance-based activities, literary and visual presentations, and examples of alternate practitioner case studies. Papers will also be considered on any related theme. 300-word abstracts should be submitted by Tuesday, 1st April 2025.

Abstracts should be submitted to: Kasler.Jon@gmail.com. Abstracts may be in Word, WordPerfect, or RTF formats with the following information and in this order: a) author(s), b) affiliation, c) email address, d) title of abstract, e) body of abstract, f) up to 10 keywords

Please use plain text (Times Roman 12) and abstain from using footnotes and any special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or underline). Please note that a Book of Abstracts is planned for the end of the year (2025). All accepted abstracts will be included in this publication. We acknowledge receipt and answer to all paper proposals submitted. If you do not receive a reply from us in a week you should assume we did not receive your submission; it might be lost in cyberspace! We suggest, then, to look for an alternative electronic route or resend.

CALL FOR JOINT RESEARCH PROPOSALS

A primary goal of this conference is to promote multi and trans-disciplinary research projects. We will therefore consider devoting a time slot (s) during the conference as well as the provision of logistic support to research proposals submitted before and during the conference. Research proposals should be submitted in brief outline at this time (no more than a single page, 300-400 words) as follows:

1. Title for proposal
2. Your name and affiliation + contact info
3. Introduction (need for study)
4. Aims and Objectives
5. Research design and method
6. Ethical considerations.
7. Budget

*No need for literature review or citations at this time

Please submit to Prof. Ofra Walter – ofraw60@gmail.com

REGISTRATION AND ACCOMMODATION

Single room 448 EUR Double room 518 EUR (there will be an additional fee for the conference dinner and boat trip – to be announced).

STEERING COMMITTEE

Ofra Waters – ofraw60@gmail.com
Jon Kasler – kasler.jon@gmail.com
Maria Leppakari – maria.leppakari@gmail.com
Jukka Hautala – jukka.hautala@linnas.fi

Sponsored by: Linnasmaki conference center and Tel Hai College, Israel

Enquiries: kasler.jon@gmail.com
Web address: https://linnas.fi/kurssit/icppws/