In his essay ‘Function of Criticism at the Present Time? Matthew Arnold observes that criticism must be sincere, simple, flexible, ardent, part of the literary canon and ever widening its sphere. Both criticism, as a constructive activity, and the role of the critic have changed over the years, constantly adapting itself to the demands of time, the historical location and varied contexts. In the current scenario, it is clearly evident that the environmental crisis has changed from a perceptible threat to a glaring contingency demanding immediate response and academia cannot afford to shirk its responsibility and remain indifferent to ground realities.

However, to be able to change popular perceptions and our own mental postures, we need to understand our cultural assumptions. Re- reading and re-evaluating literary texts will allow us to re- examine a culture’s attitude to nature through its history, and through its representations. Thus, a revaluation of a variety of texts become useful. In keeping with the aim, we intend, through Ecocriticism, the restoration of “ecological humanism?as Louise Westling puts it, focus upon the following :

• consideration of the possibilities of certain forms of scientific enquiry (e.g., ecology, evolutionary biology and social scientific inquiry such as geography and social ecology) as models of literary reflection;
• textual, theoretical, and historical analysis of the platial basis of human experience;
• study of literature as a site of environmental-ethical reflection (for example, as a critique of anthropocentric assumptions)
• retheorization of mimesis and referentiality, especially as applied to literary representation of physical environments in literary texts;
• study of the rhetoric (e.g., its idelogical valences of gender, race, politics) of any and all modes of environmental discourse, including creative writing but extending across the academic disciplines and (indeed even more important) beyond them into the public sphere, especially the media, governmental institutions, corporate organizations, and environmental advocacy groups; and
• inquiry into the relation of (environmental) writing to life and pedagogical practice.

Please send your abstract (300 words) and a brief bio-note (150 words) to the following email addresses by
January 22nd 2011:

muktisanyal@gmail.com & drshivanij@gmail.com

"IQ can show whether you have the cognitive capacity to handle the information and complexities you face in a particular field. But once you are in that field, emotional intelligence emerges as a much stronger predictor of who will be most successful, because it is how we handle ourselves in our relationships that determines how well we do once we are in a given job." Goleman

In the last decade or so science has discovered the role emotions play in our lives. Researchers have found that even more than I.Q, one’s emotional awareness and the ability to handle feelings in a positive and constructive manner, determines success and happiness in all walks of life, including relationships. These abilities can be inculcated in children, which is an important prerequisite for school readiness, academic success and overall well-being. Emotional well-being is desirable as it contributes directly to progress in school learning and it strongly links with concepts of love and spirituality.

There is ample evidence that a responsive and nurturing relationship is pivotal to a child’s development (National Research Council, 2001; Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). Children develop and grow within a socio-cultural milieu and a web of relationships with parents, teachers, peers and other caring adults. This provides the context within which healthy social emotional growth and the capacity to form strong positive relationships with adults and peers develops. With this orientation, we would like to invite experts, researchers and academicians to share their views on the subject.

Papers are invited for presentation in the following areas:

• Role of socializing agents- parents, teachers, peers etc.
• Influence of culture on social and emotional well-being of children
• Value inculcation
• Social and emotional well being of children with special needs,
• Social and emotional well being of gifted children.

The aforementioned aspects do not cover the entire domain of social and emotional well being of children. Hence, presentations on other related perspectives are also welcome.

Last date for receipt of abstracts of papers: 25th January 2011

For further details contact Dr Rekha Sapra M: 9899524108,
e-mail: rekha_158@yahoo.co.in