Deadline for submission: February 28, 2015
Contact e-mail: caglioti@unina.it ; rizzod@unior.it
The Department of Social Sciences of the Università di Napoli Federico II, theDepartment of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Università di NapoliL’Orientale together with the International collaborative doctoral network inWomen’s and Gender History will be jointly running the Graduate Conferenceon Gender and Crisis in History, to be held June 22-24, 2015, on the island ofProcida (Napoli). This conference seeks to bring together history graduatestudents whose original research deal with gender and crisis.
Whilst the category of « gender » has a well-established epistemological status,how relational systems have changed historically still poses questions forresearch.
The social sciences suggest that there are diverse fields in which ? in a givencontext ? gender identities are constructed and identification processes occur.These are interrelated yet distinct fields: they range from cultural systems ofmeaning to economic-productive relations; from the intimate personal sphere tothe legal and institutional dimension in the broad sense.
Historical research shows that the change takes place at different times andassumes different forms in these diverse spheres, and that it is not possible to
identify ?a transformative event’ in, or a ?crisis’ of, gender relations as a whole.Nor do interpretations of modernity in terms of ?permanent crisis’ avoidtautology in this regard.
There are nevertheless critical phases, or political, social, cultural or economicjunctures at which consolidated equilibria and arrangements are put to the tes on the terrain of gender relations as well.
Hence, around a plural and strongly localized notion of ?crisis’, the aim of theConference is to gather current streams of research on different periods andgeographical contexts, and to encourage discussion among them.We therefore invite papers proposals pertaining to three main lines of inquiry,which may also intersect:
1. how critical phases of change or dramatic ruptures are translated into and/orare accompanied by alterations in the system of gender relations; and, viceversa,how gender influences those processes, and what are the gender basesof instabilities in, and shocks to, the economic, political, social and/orcultural system;
2. whilst a plurality of models usually operate in different contexts, there arehistorical periods in which new ones emerge, and in which forms of« dissidence »/provocation implicitly or explicitly challenge establishedequilibria and hierarchies;
3. history is strewn with claims of an ongoing ?crisis’ in the relations betweenmen and women. The topic to explore is this: in what contexts does thishappen, within what institutional frameworks, and with what consequences’To be noted in particular is the long-standing claim concerning the ?crisis ofmasculinity?, which is so widespread that it renders the category itselfsomewhat inflated in public discourse and in contemporary common-sense.
The language of the Conference will be English.
The keynote speakers will be Prof Laura Lee Downs (EUI) and Prof MaryGibson (CUNY).
Conference presentations should last no longer than 20 minutes. Eachpresentation will be accompanied by comments from a member of the scientificcommittee. Presenters will have a chance to answer questions during a generaldiscussion period after the presentation.
Food and housing will be provided by the organizer institutions. Unfortunately,we will not be able to provide funds for transportation.
Please submit proposals (500 word max) and bios (150 words max) in Englishby February 28, 2015 to the followinge-mail addresses: caglioti@unina.it ; rizzod@unior.it.The Scientific Committee will select 10 participants.
Acceptance notices will be sent by March 20, 2015. Between ten and twelvepapers will be accepted. Accepted papers must be sent in by May 30, 2015.
The scientific committee: Peter Becker (Wien), Anna Bellavitis (Rouen),Carmen de La Guardia (Madrid Autonoma), Daniela L. Caglioti (NapoliFederico II), Gabriella Gribaudi (Napoli Federico II), P. Paderni (NapoliOrientale), D. Rizzo (Napoli Orientale), E. Sarno (Napoli Orientale), PerryWillson (Dundee), Annamaria Zaccaria (Napoli Federico II).