CfP: 2nd International Symposium on Men and Masculinities
Masculinities: Challenges and Possibilities in Troubling Times
12-14 September 2019, İstanbul Turkey
Initiative for Critical Studies of Masculinities (ICSM) cordially invites proposals for the 2nd International Symposium on Men and Masculinities to take place between 12th and 14th September in İstanbul Turkey, in collaboration with Özyeğin University, Raoul Wallenberg Institute, and Research Worldwide İstanbul. The symposium aims to discuss how the current troubling sociopolitical context of populist authoritarianism, illiberalism, and precarity affect as well as transform experiences, discussions, theories, discourses and activism related to men and masculinities.
The current sociopolitical atmosphere is marked by rising authoritarian regimes in democratic countries, increasing repression of the opposition, the media, and civil society as well as strong anti-immigrant reactions and policies. Intertwined with this are increasing precarity, deepening inequality, and diminishing social security as a result of neoliberal economic agenda. Significantly, gender and sexuality are central to this broad context, particularly to the rise of illiberal, authoritarian politics. Issues related to gender and sexuality stand out as specific targets as shown in Gender Studies accreditation ban in Hungary, threatening of transgender rights in the USA, and attempts to limit women’s rights such as right to maintenance support after divorce in Turkey – as opposed to powerful manifestations of demand for gender equality such as the global “Me Too Movement”. How then are men and masculinities situated in this broad context? And what insight can studies on men and masculinities offer to enhance our understanding of the current sociopolitical atmosphere?
We invite researchers to discuss how masculinities have been (re)constructed in the broader context of authoritarianism and neoliberalism as well as how men have been shaping such processes. We also aim to put under scrutiny the ways in which the current sociopolitical context affects the production of knowledge and theoretical discussions related to masculinities.
In order to contribute to these debates and to offer new perspectives, researchers from social sciences, humanities, and liberal arts are invited to send proposals to discuss topics including, but not limited to:
• Role of men and masculinities in authoritarian political agendas, political organisations, policies, and political discourse
• Influences of hierarchical divisions along national/transnational, local/global, and Global North/Global South relating to men’s experiences and conceptions of masculinities.
• The part masculinities play in the ongoing wars, ethnic and religious conflicts, local resistance movements, and collective visions for the future.
• Militarization, military expenditures, peacekeeping operations of transnational organizations, and peace activism
• Sexualities, bodies, desire, pornography
• Intimacy, emotions, affects, subjectivities
• Neoliberal economic policies, structures of employment, sexual division of labour
• Sexual identities, ambiguity and fluidity in and queering of masculinities, performativity
• Influences of feminist and LGBTI+ movements on masculinity studies and their affinities
• Uses and usefulness of the current concepts of masculinity studies in the struggle against sexism and heterosexism
• Masculinity studies and the hierarchies within the academia and the knowledge production processes
Confirmed speakers:
Professor Raewyn Connell University of Sydney (video-conference)
Professor Jeff Hearn Örebro University, University of Huddersfield and Hanken School of Economics
Professor Gül Özyeğin The College of William & Mary
Dr. Nancy Lindisfarne School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
The symposium will be held in English and Turkish.
Applications are invited for paper submissions, panel organizations, workshops, posters, film screenings, and photo exhibitions.
Graduate students are invited to sign in for the graduate forum in which they will have an opportunity to discuss their work-in-progress in an informal setting.
Important Dates and Information
01 May 2019 → Abstract submission
16 June 2019 → Notification of acceptance
05 August 2019 → Registration
11 August 2019 → Final program
12-13-14 September 2019 → Symposium
Abstracts should not exceed 300 words, and panel proposals should be limited to 600 words.
Please send your submissions along with a brief biographical note (maximum100 words) to icsmsymposium[et]gmail.com
Symposium is free of charge for the participants as well as the audience.
Please contact the symposium organisation committee at icsmsymposium[et]gmail.com for your queries.