18th Annual Women’s Studies Conference “Girls’ Culture & Girls’ Studies: Surviving, Reviving, Celebrating Girlhood

INVITATION FOR PROPOSALS ON INTERDISCIPLINARY SCHOLARLY AND CREATIVE WORKCFP Submission Deadline: Thursday, June 12, 2008 The 18th Annual Women’s Studies Conference “Girls’ Culture & Girls’ Studies: Surviving, Reviving, Celebrating Girlhood” To be held on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University Friday and Saturday, October 17 and 18, 2008 The 18th Annual Women’s Studies Conference at Southern Connecticut State University explores girlhood. What does it mean to be a girl? Who defines girlhood in an age when puberty and sexualization are happening at younger ages? How do girls assert their own identity in an increasingly medicated and consumerist culture which targets girls as a prime audience? Why are U.S. girls preoccupied with perfection? What challenges do girls across races, classes, religions, nations, and cultures face in an ever more globalized world? What is the relationship between girls and feminism? What effect can feminism have on constructions of boyhood and masculinity and how in turn can this affect girls? In the 18th annual SCSU Women’s Studies conference, we will take a close look at girls’ culture and girls’ studies, among the most vibrant areas in women’s studies. The Conference Committee invites individuals, groups, scholars, feminists, activists, girls and all to
submit proposals that address topics related to all aspects of girlhood. Proposal Format: Faculty, students, staff, administrators, 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 art work, submit a one-page overview. All proposals must include speakers’ name(s), affiliation(s), and contact information (address, E-mail, and 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 and 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 and 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: Girls and Pop Culture Construction of Girlhood Media and Girls’ Culture Girls & Cutting/Self-Mutilation Politics of Girls’ Studies Girls & Leadership Women’s Studies & Girls’ Studies Girls & Child Labor Race & Class in Girls’ Studies Girls & Performance Coming of Age Globally Gender Research & Girls Body Image and Girls Girls & Disabilities Girls & Sexuality Girls & Ink. Human Trafficking & Girls Girls & Religion Indigenous Women and Girls Human Rights of Girls Girls & Sports Chick Lit Girls & Resistance Globalization and Girlhood Race, Ethnicity, and Class in Girls’ Studies Construction of “Tween” Agers/Girls Violence against Girls & Women Girls and Gangs Girl Power and Politics Transnational Adoption of Girls Girls’ Studies in Academe Girl Power and Feminism/Anti-Feminism Growing up Incarcerated Girls and Grassroots Activism Girls across/between Worlds Parenting/Raising Girls American Girls and Beyond Girls as Parents Reviving Ophelia, Surviving Ophelia, Resisting Ophelia Representations of Girls We also invite your ideas and suggestions. Conference sessions will juxtapose cultural, generational, and geopolitical perspectives in order to construct feminist renditions of girls’ cultures, histories, and representations. Expect fun through meals, performance, and poetry slam, with girls and their allies speaking of their struggles and power. Please submit proposals and supporting materials to: Women’s Studies Conference Committee Women’s Studies Program, EN B 229 Southern Connecticut State University 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. The Annual Women’s Studies Conference at SCSU is self-supporting; all presenters can pre-register at the discounted presenter’s fee, not exceeding $110.00 for both days, $60.00 for one day. The fee includes all costs for supporting materials, entrance to keynote events, and all meals and beverage breaks. Submission Deadline: Postmarked by Thursday, June 12, 2008 Notification of Committee Decision: Mailed by Friday, July 18, 2008 ********************************************************************** Yi-Chun Tricia Lin Director/Associate Professor, Women’s Studies Program Vice President, National Women’s Studies Association Past President, Women’s Caucus for the Modern Languages Southern Connecticut State University E-mail: liny4@southernct.edu Office: (203) 392-6133; (203) 392-6864 Fax: (203) 392-6723 www.southernct.edu/womensstudies ***********************************************************************