Conference: Women Against Domination and Oppression. Feminist Perspective

Conference: Women Against Domination and Oppression. Feminist Perspective
Published 22 March 2017 in: News, Konferencje

II Conference of the Interdisciplinary Gender Seminar

Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology UL, Institute of Contemporary Culture UL,

Faculty of Organization and Management TUL, Chair of Sociology of Politics and Morality UL,

Faculty of International and Political Studies UL, University of Humanities and Economics in Lodz

Women Against Domination and Oppression. Feminist Perspective

6-8 October 2017, Lodz, Poland

University of Lodz

The aim of the II Conference of Interdisciplinary Gender Seminar “Women Against Oppression and Domination. Feminist Perspective” is to create a space for discussion of the contemporary challenges of women’s rights and various discriminatory practices. The Conference will also offer an opportunity for sharing the current women’s experiences of domination and oppression in the public sphere.

Violence against women was, and still is, institutionalized in many aspects: cultural, social, economic, political and ethical. Social relations based on inequalities – the breeding ground for violence, both symbolic and physical – are not always evaluated as conclusively negative. The roots of dominance have been clearly defined as resulting from inequality, however, different groups can still be exposed to different forms of oppression based on gender, age, economic status and social or cultural capital.

We are now facing the worldwide radicalization of socio-political life, together with the increasing power of nationalistic parties and political groups spreading out xenophobia, racism, islamophobia, sexism and violence. It necessarily arouses serious concerns. We are interested in the current processes, phenomena and issues such as: Why it is today so easy to instrumentalize violence against women? Has this process already become a tool for political influence? Why has the questioning of women’s rights become so attractive as a political offer (this problem is also visible from the perspective of other disadvantaged groups)? How have the forms and strategies to fight for women’s rights changed over time? Can the previous experience of feminist movements become an inspiration for today’s tactics of resistance? How can we explain the current situation with the use of tools already developed by the feminist theorists? How can we talk about dominance and oppression using various feminist discourses, originated in different worldviews and philosophical assumptions?

We propose the interdisciplinary, intersectional approach and invite researchers and activists who will submit papers relevant to issues such as:

• areas and forms of domination and oppression that affect women in different cultures, societies and groups, cultural and social variants of the violence, and the proposed solutions;
• policies affecting the freedoms and rights of women;
• anti-equality occurrences and social movements;
• recognition and interpretation of the category of dominance and oppression through various social and political discourses;
• women’s experiences associated with the practices directed toward limiting their freedom to choose own ways of life, civil rights, physical integrity, freedom to express opinions, sense of independence, and representations of these experiences;
• women’s movements and strategies of resistance;
• artistic activities as a space of resistance, art as a tool for social change;
• oppression experienced indirectly from the position of witnesses, as well as experiences of people who accept some forms of such practices;
• methodological, ethical and practical issues (assistance programs, educational projects, workshops, trainings, etc.) connected to reflection on oppression and domination, and forms of combating them.

The list of issues is not exhaustive. Organizers invite you to submit other proposals related to the topic of the Conference.

Organizational information:

Place: Faculty of Philology, University of Lodz, ul. Pomorska 171/173, Lodz, Poland

Language of the Conference: English and Polish

Conference fee: 80 EUR or 350 PLN – academics, 45 EUR or 200 PLN – doctoral students and activists (the account number will be send to participants selected for the Conference).

Timetable:

15.04.2017 – deadline for abstract submission (please, use the submission form available at: http://feministperspective.pl/form/).

31.05.2017 – notification of acceptance

10.07.2017 – deadline for payment of the conference fee

30.08.2017 – announcement of the program

Attention:

The organizers do not provide accommodation and meals beside indicated in the program. Conference Committee reserves the right to select proposals.

Conference Committee:

Inga Kuźma (Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology UL, Conference Manager),  Edyta Pietrzak (Faculty of Organization and Management TUL, Conference Manager), Dagmara Rode (Institute of Contemporary Culture UL, Conference Secretary), Izabela Desperak (Chair of Sociology of Politics and Morality UL), Ewa Hyży (independent researcher), Aleksandra Kanclerz (independent researcher), Anna Kronenberg (independent researcher), Monika Talarczyk-Gubała (University of Humanities and Economics in Lodz), Marta Woźniak-Bobińska (Faculty of International and Political Studies UL), Grażyna Zygadło (Faculty of International and Political Studies UL).

Contact:

conference@feministperspective.pl