The 33rd annual meeting of AFIT will be held
April 11-14, 2012 | Houston, Texas. Hyatt Regency, Houston
In conjunction with the Western Social Science Association (WSSA) 54th Annual Conference

Theme for the 2012 Conference: Institutionalism and Building a Better Future

The evolution of institutions-changes in the social, cultural, and legal environment in which individuals and groups of individuals operate and make decisions-is critical to making sense of the current state of the economy. Rarely have the stakes been so high in understanding what transpired in taking the economy to where it is today and in understanding the implications of current and future social and economic policies. Institutional economists bring a rich and robust tradition to the holistic analysis of economic activity where ‘people matter’ that can contribute to this understanding.

The theme for the 2012 AFIT conference is: Institutionalism and Building a Better Future. Since 2012 is a presidential election year, it is even more urgent than ever that Institutional analysts make sure their voices are heard in various policy discussions. Topics for presentations may include: historical analysis of the current crisis (what brought the economy to this point and why), how do ‘differences’ play into access to economic opportunity and outcomes, as well as how sound policy may contribute to building a better system of social provisioning for all people. The organizer recognizes that there are many topics of interest to institutional-heterodox economists that are not connected to the conference theme and papers on those topics are welcome as well.

The Association for Institutional Thought provides an excellent platform for the delivery of papers concerned with theoretic and applied issues in a broad range of areas. AFIT sessions are well-attended, and presenters can expect to receive valuable comments on their work.

Proposals for complete sessions are encouraged—see the submission format below. If you are proposing a complete session, please arrange to have discussants for your papers and a moderator for your session.

It is anticipated that at least one panel of graduate student papers will be included in the program this year. In addition, AFIT will continue to sponsor prizes for outstanding student papers. A formal announcement of this year’s competition is attached.

AFIT will continue the tradition of having one or more sessions that explores ideas, experiences, and materials to advance economic education from institutional and other heterodox perspectives. Participants in these roundtables are encouraged to submit their materials to the conference organizer for posting on the AFIT web site. AFIT is also receptive to proposals for panels to review and discuss books recently published by AFIT members.

Individuals whose papers are accepted may also be expected to serve as a discussant for a different paper at the meetings. If you list the areas you prefer to discuss, all attempts will be made to match your preferences.

Proposal Format: Paper

• Title of the Paper
• Name, Affiliation, Mailing Address, Telephone Number, E-mail Address
• Other Authors
• Abstract (not exceeding 200 words; type in New Times Roman 12)

Proposal Format: Session

• Title of the Session
• Title of each Paper (3/4 papers)
• Moderator with Affiliation, Mailing Address, Telephone Number, E-mail Address
• Discussant(s) with Affiliation, Mailing Address, Telephone Number, E-mail Address
• Presenters with Affiliation, Mailing Address, Telephone Number, E-mail Address
• Abstract for each paper for the session (not exceeding 200 words; type in New Times Roman 12)

Anyone interested in attending the AFIT Conference or in finding out more about the organization may visit the AFIT web site at http://www.associationforinstitutionalthought.org/ Conference registration information can be found at the WSSA web site http://wssa.asu.edu.

You must be a member of AFIT to present a paper at the conference—there are no exceptions. Annual dues are $25. Annual dues for full-time students is$15. Contact Mary Wrenn, Secretary-Treasurer of AFIT at http://www.associationforinstitutionalthought.org for additional information.

All participants are required to register for the WSSA-AFIT conference prior to March 1, 2012. This means everybody: professors, graduate students, undergraduate students—there are no exceptions.

All proposals must be sent to the conference organizer by December 1, 2011. Send proposals by E-mail with the subject line AFIT 2012 Proposal Last name and file attachment in Microsoft Word or RTF format to the conference organizer and Vice President of AFIT:

Barbara Wiens-Tuers, Ph.D.
[email protected]
Penn State Altoona

Download Call for Papers.