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 inquiry into the historical, social, and cultural aspects of Whiteness as a source of identity formation and socio-historical power relations. During the past three decades, the notion of Whiteness has been studied from a number of inter/disciplinary, theoretical, and geographic perspectives. As the study of Whiteness has traveled across geographic locations and scholarly contexts, it has become a subject of heated debates regarding its epistemological conceptualization, theoretical delineation, and methodological applicability.
“Traveling Whiteness” calls attention to the various geographic, socio-historical, and cultural contexts within which the study of Whiteness emerges. In particular, we are seeking to explore the following questions: Where does the study of Whiteness appear? How does the notion of Whiteness transform in its multiple locations? How does it shape our understanding of race/racism? What epistemological, theoretical, and methodological challenges does traveling bring with it? How does Whiteness transform within specific inter/national, socio-historical, and political contexts? What possibilities and prospects does traveling entail?
Possible topics for paper presentations, complete panels, and thematic workshops 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 presentations or complete panels or thematic workshops, together with a max. 150-word bio, including name, institutional affiliation and position, phone number and postal and email addresses, to travelingwhiteness@gmail.com.
Abstract Deadline: June 15, 2013. Participants will receive notifications of acceptance 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 Aleksi Huhta, email: aleksi.huhta@utu.fi.
The Organizing Committee at the University of Turku:
Dr. Benita Heiskanen (Turku Institute for Advanced Studies and Cultural History)
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 General History)