Love in Our Time – A Question for Feminism; GEXcel Conference of Workshops
Place: Örebro University, Sweden
Dates: December 2–4, 2010
Application Deadline: May 10, 2010
Supported by a grant from the Swedish Research Council Centre, Örebro University and Linköpings University launched a project to establish a European Center of Gender Excellence based in Sweden – Gendering Excellence (GEXcel): Towards a European Centre of Excellence in Transnational and Transdisciplinary Studies of Changing Gender Relations, Intersectionalities and Embodiment. During 2010, one of the research themes sponsored by GEXcel is “Love in Our Time – a Question for Feminism” directed by Anna G. Jónasdóttir, Professor of Gender Studies at Örebro University. (For a full description of the theme, see here).
We invite applications for this conference of workshops from junior and senior scholars whose research directly addresses one or more of the topics presented in the two main parts of the theme description: I. Love Studies – mapping the field; or II. Love Studies – remaking the field. For the latter, we invite contributions, both critical and reconstructive, that specifically approach one of the following three sub-themes:
- Gendered interests in sexual love, for instance how (if at all) care practices relate to erotic agency.
- Temporal dimensions of loving and love activities, preferably as compared with temporalities of working, or labour activities; or with thinking and action time. Is there a philosophy and politics of time that should be distinguished and developed about love, to understand better the social conditions, cultural meanings and political struggles of love in our time?
- Love as a strong force in the intersection between politics and religion and also as a useful key concept for a new political theory of global revolution. What is to be said and done from feminist points of view about postmodern revitalising of pre-modern ideas of passionate love?
Conference Workshop Format
The conference will begin on Thursday morning (2 December 2010) with three keynote addresses from leading scholars in the field (to be announced), followed by workshop meetings in the afternoon. Friday (3 December 2010) will be organized similarly with both plenary sessions and parallel workshop meetings. A final plenary will be held on Saturday morning (4 December 2010), where summaries of major research and discussion themes will be presented.
Workshops are designed to be a forum for discussion of research in progress precisely related to the conference sub-themes and to facilitate collaboration among junior and senior scholars. Each workshop will go on for two days and involve ten participants from several institutions. Only those scholars currently working in the field addressed by the workshop will be accepted to participate.
The workshop format is intended to enhance participation in a collegial atmosphere. Each participant presents a paper or research document for discussion, and takes part in the discussion of the other sub-theme papers presented. In addition, each sub-theme participant will be assigned the role of formal discussant on one paper. Each sub-theme will be assigned a coordinator, whose tasks will include maintaining the group’s schedule of presentation, summarizing research and discussion themes and presenting these summaries at the closing plenary.
We expect these workshops to lead to publications, as well as to continued collaboration between members.
Application Requirements
Send an abstract of the proposed paper demonstrating how your research specifically connects to one of the sub-themes. Include a brief biographical note of no more than 250 words outlining your current research interests, most recent publications, academic affiliation and status.
Address for Applications
GEXcelTheme10@oru.se
Application Deadline
May 10, 2010
Notification
A committee will review applicants and notify candidates selected for participation by mid-June 2010.
aus: genus@genus.gu.se