Narratives in Action

How Stories Shape Our Minds

On 1st and 2nd May 2012, and in collaboration with the University Paris Sorbonne Abu Dhabi, the College of Humanities, the Department of Philosophy, and the UAEU Library Deanship present an interdisciplinary workshop to which you are invited.

The tales we are exposed to when we are children deeply mold our beliefs, values, and attitudes, but we are not always explicitly aware of how stories affect our cognitive functions, cultural heritage, and social development. We will discuss this issue from the points of view of philosophy, linguistics, psychology, Arabic and English literary traditions, political science, media and communication studies, and through the creative work of professional writers and marketing specialists. To keep alive the memory of both oral and written narratives, and to understand how they inspire our present and provide us with a vision for the future.

Agenda

Download the full program here

Tuesday 1st May (09.00 - 13.00)
Narrative Practices. Embodied cognition, psychology and language
Chair, Dr Ann Scholl, Department of Philosophy

Tuesday 1st May (14.50 - 19.30)
Creative Story Telling and Affective Communication
Chairs, Dr Massimiliano Cappuccio and Dr Dennis Leavens

Wednesday 2nd May (09.00 - 13.00)
One Thousand and One Tales:  Cultural Heritage in the Arab World and in America
Chairs, Dr Dan Hutto and Dr Massimiliano Cappuccio

Wednesday 2nd may (17.20 - 20.30)
Narratives in the Construction of Social and Political Identities
Chair, Dr Jacob Schmutz