Environment, Space, and Place: Material Creatures (Abstracts by 2-1-2016)

full name / name of organization: 
Environment, Space, and Place Working Group; Cultural Studies Association

For the 2016 Cultural Studies Association Conference (June 2-5 2016, Villanova University, Philadelphia, PA), the ESP Working Group seeks proposals for the Material Creatures cluster:

This panel invites proposals for presentations that examine the material lives of animals in relation to space, time, climate, and culture/s broadly defined. We are particularly interested in projects that reach beyond discussions of the ontological and universalized "animal" to interrogate specific species, lives, habitats, and violences that play out in time and space. Potential panels could address real estate encroachment, interspecial interactions, animal-based industries, or material animals who have gained historical or cultural notoriety, such as Dolly the sheep, Lonesome George the Pinta Island tortoise, Gertrude Stein's pet dog(s) Basket, or Cecil the lion. We're especially interested in explorations that pay particular attention to the clash between animal lives, commercial interests, anthropocentric habitus, and human negotiations of gender, race, class, migration, sexuality, and/or belonging.
Proposals should be submitted by February 1, 2016, to include:

a. Your name, email address, department, and institutional affiliation.

b. A 300-word (or less) abstract for your 15-20 minute project presentation, including a title.

c. Audio-visual equipment needs (no requests for AV equipment can be honored later).

Please send all required information to Daniel Gustav Anderson (danielgustavanderson@yahoo.com) and Daniel Lanza Rivers (daniellanzarivers@gmail.com).