[Bilimsel Haber] CONF.CFP Identities: Negotiations in Contemporary Space(s)

[gpultar at kulturad.org]

Call for Papers

Identities: Negotiations in Contemporary Space(s)
An Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Conference

Saturday 2nd December 2006
University of Warwick, Coventry, UK

Keynote addresses from
Prof. Debbie Epstein (University of Cardiff)
Prof. Les Back (Goldsmiths College, University of London)

The University of Warwick is holding a one-day conference on  
identities sponsored by the ESRC Identities and Social Action  
Programme. This conference, organised by postgraduates for  
postgraduates, will consider current and changing perspectives in  
identities research.

Identity has become a flexible buzzword in contemporary culture –  
identity politics, identity theft, identity cards. People construct  
their identity around a myriad of references, from broader issues of  
gender, ethnicity, religion, sexuality and geography, to influences  
such as music subcultures, the workplace, sports teams, online  
communities and TV fandom. But there is contestation over the  
meanings, definitions and experiences of identity.

On the one hand, identities are increasingly recognized as fluid and  
fragmented. Yet, many people experience them as relatively static.  
Identities are based on inclusions and exclusions, borders and  
boundaries, both ‘who we are’ and ‘who we are not’. How valid is the  
concept of identity in a (post)modern, globalised world? It can be  
argued that globalisation dissolves stable identities and a sense of  
self. This process is seen as a threat to local distinctiveness and  
has been the target of political movements.

Claiming identities can be an emancipatory and empowering process.  
Similarly, identity politics has proved an important area for  
activists, yet something that has faced criticism for silencing  
difference(s). In contrast, the Internet enables people to construct  
their own spaces through which to forge identities. However, these can  
be both progressive and oppressive. To what extent are  
reconfigurations of subjectivity and identity accompanied by  
redefinitions of space?

We encourage submissions from fields such as social theory, political  
sociology, cultural studies, gender studies, media studies, ‘race’ and  
ethnicity studies, work and employment, sociology of health and  
illness, and the sociology of religion. Abstracts of 250 words are  
invited for contributions of 20 minutes. We aim to provide a  
supportive and friendly environment for postgraduates to present their  
work, meet fellow researchers and benefit from interdisciplinary  
exchange. The conference welcomes delegates who do not wish to present.

Email abstracts and information requests to
M.M.Perrier at warwick.ac.uk or D.Beusch at warwick.ac.uk or  
N.S.Pitimson at warwick.ac.uk

Deadline for abstracts 15th August 2006
Website at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/news/identities/

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