45th Annual Conference of the Association for Interdisciplinary Studies

Conference Theme: Transformative Shifts: Integration, Wholeness, and Wellness

As we have collectively endured many transformative shifts in the way we work, teach, interact, engage, and relate to one another. Our conference theme hopes to encourage scholars and practitioners to help us articulate our understanding and practice of integration, wholeness, and wellness.

The entire world has experienced many adversities in recent years, such as the pandemic, changes in political landscapes, wars, issues surrounding immigration, among others. These adversities have also uncovered a greater need to respond in transformative ways within communities, higher education spaces, workplaces, families, and relevant relationships. The committee is inviting participants to explore integration, wholeness, and wellness in the context of religion and spirituality, mental health, social justice, socio-cultural, immigration, higher education, and related spheres, and to express the need and strategies for inter- and trans- disciplinary research and complex problem-solving. We are interested in the scholarship and application of inter-/trans-disciplinarity as it relates to complex and wicked problems within the identified subthemes.

What have we learned in response to transformative shifts relevant to our complex adversities? How have individuals, families, and workplaces shifted as a result of the transformation of their lived experiences? In what ways has teaching changed? In what ways has collaboration with different groups of people changed? In what ways has the wholeness and wellness of people shifted as they attempted to respond to issues related to the transformation of lived experiences? As we look ahead toward integration, wholeness, and wellbeing, what strategies might we employ in different spheres of our lives to help ensure a good result in our transformative shifts?