October 18-19, 2013
University of Turku, Finland
Keynote Speakers
Dr. Mike Hill (University at Albany-SUNY)
Dr. Philomena Essed (Antioch University)
The study of Whiteness emerged in the United States as a field of inquiryinto the historical, social, and cultural aspects of Whiteness as a sourceof identity formation and socio-historical power relations. During the pastthree decades, the notion of Whiteness has been studied from a number ofinter/disciplinary, theoretical, and geographic perspectives. As the studyof Whiteness has traveled across geographic locations and scholarlycontexts, it has become a subject of heated debates regarding itsepistemological conceptualization, theoretical delineation, andmethodological applicability.
« Traveling Whiteness » calls attention to the various geographic,socio-historical, and cultural contexts within which the study of Whitenessemerges. In particular, we are seeking to explore the following questions:Where does the study of Whiteness appear? How does the notion of Whitenesstransform in its multiple locations’ How does it shape our understanding ofrace/racism’ What epistemological, theoretical, and methodologicalchallenges does traveling bring with it’ How does Whiteness transform withinspecific inter/national, socio-historical, and political contexts’ Whatpossibilities and prospects does traveling entail’
Possible topics for paper presentations, complete panels, and thematicworkshops may include:
- Social Constructions of Whiteness
- Identity Formation and Whiteness
- Race, (Anti-)Racism, and Whiteness
- Ideologies and Discourses of Whiteness
- Class, Social Inequalities and Whiteness
- Gender, Sexuality, and Whiteness
- Spaces/Places of Whiteness.
- Representational Whiteness
- Legislation and Whiteness
- Sporting Whiteness
Please email abstracts of 250 words for either 20-minute paper presentationsor complete panels or thematic workshops, together with a max. 150-word bio,including name, institutional affiliation and position, phone number andpostal and email addresses, to travelingwhiteness@gmail.com.
Abstract Deadline: June 15, 2013. Participants will receive notifications ofacceptance by July 15, 2013.
For further information, please visit the conference website at:www.utu.fi/traveling-whiteness/
For general inquiries, please contact the Conference Coordinator AleksiHuhta, email: aleksi.huhta@utu.fi.
The Organizing Committee at the University of Turku:
Dr. Benita Heiskanen (Turku Institute for Advanced Studies and CulturalHistory)
Ph.D. Candidate Aleksi Huhta (General History)
Dr. Suvi Keskinen (Sociology)
Dr. Lotta Kähkönen (Gender Studies)
Dr. Johanna Leinonen (Turku Institute for Advanced Studies and GeneralHistory)