Women's Studies

Women & Girls of Color: History, Heritage, Heterogeneity

Southern Connecticut State University Women’s Studies Program Presents
The 19th Annual Women’s Studies Conference
Women & Girls of Color: History, Heritage, Heterogeneity
To be held on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University
Friday and Saturday, April 16 and 17, 2010

INVITATION FOR PROPOSALS ON INTERDISCIPLINARY SCHOLARLY AND CREATIVE WORK
Both inside and outside of academe, women of color have actively participated in theoretical, artistic, and cultural production, influencing the ways we perceive and think about issues pertinent to women and girls. Situated by both gender and race, yet often at the margins, women of color have been instrumental in challenging scholars to critically re-conceptualize the discourses on race, gender, class, sexuality, and nationality. The scholarly work by women of color and on women of color is simultaneously multicultural, heterogeneous, interdisciplinary, and, in most instances, global and transnational. This body of literature, which has spawned a whole new area of study at universities and colleges, is among the most exciting and vibrant in feminist scholarship and publications. As a site of innovative knowledge production, women of color writing does not simply travel throughout academic disciplines in the U.S., but it also travels globally, generating significant connections with women’s writing especially globally. In the 19th annual SCSU Women’s Studies conference, we will take a close look at women and girls of color, looking back at their achievements throughout history but also pushing our thinking forward into the 21st century. Who are women and girls of color and what issues are important to them? How have women of color contributed artistically, culturally, and politically, inside universities as well as out in our communities? What challenges do woman and girls of color across races, classes, religions, and cultures face in an increasingly globalized world? How can the discourse surrounding women and girls of color challenge our ideas about race, gender, class, nationality, and sexuality?

PROPOSAL FORMAT:
Faculty, students, staff, administrators, and community activists from all disciplines and fields are invited to submit proposals for individual papers, complete sessions, panels, or round tables. Poster sessions, performance pieces, video recordings, and other creative works are also encouraged. For individual papers, please submit a one-page abstract. For complete panels, submit a one-page abstract for each presentation plus an overview on the relationship among individual components. For the poster sessions and artwork, submit a one-page overview. All proposals must include speaker’s/speakers’ name(s), affiliation(s), and contact information (address, E-mail, & telephone number). Please also indicate preference for Friday afternoon, Saturday morning or Saturday afternoon; all attempts will be made to honor schedule requests.

PANELS:Each 75 minute session usually includes three presenters and a session moderator, but individual presenters may request an entire session for a more substantial paper or presentation. Presenters are encouraged, though not required, to form their own panels. The conference committee will group individual proposals into panels and assign a moderator. Please indicate in your contact information if you are willing to serve as a moderator.

POSTERS, ART DISPLAYS, AND SLIDE PRESENTATIONS:A poster presentation consists of an exhibit of materials that report research activities or informational resources in visual & summary form. An art display consists of a depiction of feminist concerns in an artistic medium. Both types of presentations provide a unique platform that facilitates personal discussion of work with interested colleagues & allows meeting attendees to browse through highlights of current research. Please indicate in your proposal your anticipated needs in terms of space, etc

In keeping with the conference theme, suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

We also invite your ideas and suggestions. Conference sessions will juxtapose cultural, generational, and geopolitical perspectives in order to re-examine narratives on women and girls of color, their histories, and their representations. Expect serious fun through meals, performance, and poetry slam, with women and girls of color and their allies speaking of their struggles and power.

Submission Deadline:  Postmarked by December 1, 2009

Please submit proposals and supporting materials to:
Women‘s Studies Conference Committee
Women’s Studies Program, EN B 229
501 Crescent Street
New Haven, CT 06515

Or via email to:
womenstudies@southernct.edu, with attention to Conference Committee. If you have any questions, please call the Women’s Studies office at (203) 392-6133.

Please include name, affiliation, E-mail, standard mailing address, and phone number. Proposals should be no longer than one page, with a second page for identification information. Panel Proposals are welcome.

The Annual Women’s Studies Conference at SCSU is self-supporting; all presenters can pre-register at the discounted presenter’s fee. The fee includes all costs for supporting materials, entrance to keynote events, and all meals and beverage breaks.


Design: Jonathan OBrien   |  Publisher: Dr. Mary Thompson   |  JMU Privacy Statement
Co-Coordinators: Dr. Jessica Davidson  &   Dr. Mary Thompson  
© 2006 JMU Women's Studies   |  Date Last Modified October 28, 2009