Critical phenomenology combines the phenomenological focus on lived experience with a critical examination of how social, cultural, and economic structures shape subjectivity. Moving beyond simply describing experiences, critical phenomenology analyzes the power dynamics and systemic inequalities that contribute to experience. SPHS welcomes submissions for our annual conference that apply a phenomenological methodology to investigations within the human and social sciences. Priority will be given to submissions that engage with the conference theme — critical phenomenology — but consideration will be given to submissions on all topics within the human and social sciences that explore or apply qualitative approaches and bear substantive relation to phenomenology or its kindred traditions — including existentialism, hermeneutics, critical theory, ethnography, ethnomethodology, semiotics, grounded theory, poststructuralism, and deconstruction.

Call for papers

Presentations may take the form of individual papers, panels, or workshops. To be considered all presentation proposals must include names, paper titles, and full contact information including emails, affiliations, and abstracts for all presenters. Keep submissions to a length appropriate for a presentation of 20 minutes. For individual paper, final papers are preferred, but extended abstracts will be accepted.

For panels, submit a proposal of less than 1500 words including individual abstracts, titles, and contact information for each presentation.
For workshops, submit a full abstract of less than 500 words with a list of all participants and their contact information.

Submissions should be sent electronically as either a MS Word document or PDF file. For all submissions, please include a separate cover sheet with complete contact information, including email address, postal address, and telephone numbers. Authors whose submissions are provisionally accepted must become members of SPHS before acceptance is confirmed.

Full consideration will be given to submissions recieved by May 30, 2025 and acceptances will be rolling.

Email submissions to: sphssubmission@gmail.com
Membership and registration can be found at: http://www.sphs.info
Direct additional inquiries to:
Erik Garrett, garrette@duq.edu
Justin Pearl, jpearl@andrew.cmu.edu