Symposium: Gender and States of Emergency
Department of Women's Studies, The Ohio State University
April 22, 2011

The Department of Women's Studies invites presenters for a one-day symposium on the theme "gender and states of emergency." We hope to gather a range of perspectives on how gender, in relation to racial, sexual, bodily, and economic dimensions is vital to investigating the impact of war, natural disasters, and political upheavals. At the same time, "states of emergency" cannot be confined to discussions of catastrophic events; trauma exists in the everyday. In addition, some political actors work to define a particular moment as a state of emergency in order to mobilize publics, re-define citizenship, or execute political machinery. Participants will explore the issue of states of emergency from a variety of angles, not only states in (economic, political or environmental) emergency, but also, for example, what it means to be in a state of crisis as a particularly situated woman. Participants will examine the nexus of material and affective "states" of crisis, considering the difference that gender makes in natural disasters, war, public policy, institutions and national discourse about citizenship and belonging.

We seek papers that address gender and states of emergency in relation to topics such as war, institutions, law, literature, popular culture, natural disasters, state and intimate violence, citizenship, immigration, environment, health, and economic instabilities. We welcome papers with U.S., non-U.S., and transnational foci. Some participants may be asked to contribute to a publication devoted to this theme.

Symposium Events:

Kimberlé Crenshaw, Professor of Law at UCLA and Columbia Law School will open the symposium with an evening keynote address on April 21st.

Cynthia Enloe, Professor in the Department of International Development, Community, and Environment and Women's Studies at Clark University, will provide a closing keynote the evening of April 22nd.

The all-day symposium on April 22nd will include a continental breakfast, boxed lunch (with registration fee) and an evening reception.

Please send a 300-500 word abstract by January 7, 2011 to: genderstates@gmail.com. Questions about the conference also can be directed to that email.