The Programme Committee invites proposals for participation in the 2025 Canadian Political Science Association Annual Conference to be held in person from Tuesday, June 3 to Thursday, June 5 at George Brown College, Toronto.
George Brown College (Tkaronto/Toronto) is situated on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time including the Anishinaabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. Toronto is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis, and is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.
The Politics of Belonging: Conflict, Community, Curriculum
The politics of belonging are ubiquitous at the international, national and local levels. Conflicts at the global level often revolve around competing claims to territory. These protracted conflicts pit contested visions of belonging: Who does this territory belong to? And who belongs to this territory? Scholars of ethnic conflict know all too well how identity politics can intersect with other factors to fuel intra-state conflicts.
Yet the politics of belonging do not only play out at the global level. Nor do they necessarily breed violent conflict. Local communities across Canada have experienced heated conversations around belonging that challenge the longstanding model of multiculturalism. From divisive debates around immigration to the rise of nativism, who belongs – and who does not belong – are central questions underpinning difficult discussions around citizenship and nation-building. While Québec’s Bill 21 has generated much discussion in media and scholarly circles regarding religious community rights, provinces such as Alberta have also waded into the waters of identity politics by threatening the rights of the transgender community. These and other recent developments reveal the need to recognize the intersectional nature of the politics of belonging as race, gender, religion, class, sexuality, etc. intersect in various ways to include/exclude different communities.
Finally, the politics of belonging clearly inform our practice as teachers in the classroom as we are confronted with the challenge of updating our curricula. As the political science community works towards Indigenizing our discipline, we are reminded of the narrowness that long informed our approach to teaching in this field. Yet as we work to Indigenize our curricula and decolonize our universities more broadly, we ought to take note of the recent developments and pushback against critical race theory in our neighbor to the south. Despite the repeated invocations to academic freedom, the university curriculum is clearly not immune to the politics of belonging in our wider society and continues to be shaped by coloniality.
While we welcome a diversity of approaches, perspectives, and topics in this call for papers, we encourage you to reflect on the ways in which the politics of belonging shape our world, communities, and wider profession. As such, we look forward to receiving your paper proposals and to engaging in thought-provoking discussions at George Brown College in Toronto in 2025!
The Programme Committee also invites submissions in all areas of political science, spanning one or more of our 16 disciplinary sections and competitions (3MT and Posters).
Reconciliation and EDID
The CPSA continues to prioritize the work of the CPSA Reconciliation and EDID committees as well as broader efforts to decolonize the academic world.
It subscribes to the principles of accessibility, diversity, decolonization, equity, inherent human dignity, and inclusion.
Thus, we particularly welcome proposals that contribute to a diverse and inclusive representation of the Canadian political science community, and those that address all forms of discrimination, bigotry, prejudice, and injustice, including, but not limited to, those rooted in racism, ableism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, heterosexism, and classism.
Workshops
The Programme Committee has also organized workshops that focus on specialized themes of interest for political scientists. Explore them HERE and submit your proposal!
Practitioners Section
We especially welcome submissions for our Practitioners Section. A practitioner is a political scientist whose main professional activity is, or has been, outside the academic world (e.g., in government, political parties, consulting, journalism, lobbying, think tanks, and international or civil society organizations). The section welcomes a wide variety of perspectives on political science and its application in Canadian society.
Annual Conference of the International Studies Association (ISA) Canada Region
ISA Canada is proud to host its annual conference in partnership with the CPSA. For the twentieth consecutive year, ISA Canada will co-organize with the CPSA the International Relations section of the 2025 Annual Conference. ISA Canada encourages its members to submit proposals on areas of interest in the study of international relations. ISA Canada is a region of the International Studies Association (ISA), the premier international association of international relations scholars.
Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences
The 2025 CPSA Annual Conference is held within the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences (2025 Congress).
The theme of Congress 2025 is Reframing togetherness. The Programme Committee also welcomes submissions that relate to the Congress’s theme.
Questions? Contact the CPSA Conference Team.
2025 Programme Committee Workshops Submission and Type of Proposals Participation Information and Fees Conference Documents
| 2025 CPSA Deadlines and Important Dates | |
| Deadline to submit your proposals | November 8, 2024 @ 11:59 pm PST (Pacific Standard Time) |
| Submission outcome notification | December 2024 |
| Deadline CPSA Membership Fees | March 20, 2025 |
| Deadline Registration (early bird) | March 20, 2025 |
| Paper for the conference | May 23, 2025 |
| Conference dates | June 3 to 5, 2025 |