04/02/2024
Call for Papers - Rurality, Sexuality & Gender - Deadline 16/2/24 - Conference in Finland in May
How to research rural intersections on sexualities and gender
Tampere University, Finland, 2-3 May 2024
Chairs: Richard Rawlings (Northumbria University, UK) and Antu Sorainen (Helsinki University)
Our workshop focuses on how to study rural sexualities and genders. We discuss how these relate and contrast geographical liminality to personal marginalities experienced via, for example, class, age, kinship or personal relationships, care networks and economics (Sorainen 2015).
We ask what it means to research – and perhaps to live in and/or identify with – the countryside, while also experiencing forms of sexual or gendered personhood or identity that might be considered largely absent or hidden from rural spaces (Rawlings, on-going PhD study). This might mean non-normative, not-hideable or public feminist, raced, abilised, q***r or gender identity or such. Often also intersectional scholars and activist endeavours such as local Pride organisers share goals but simultaneously occupy multiple subject positions in rural places. We therefore invite papers from scholars covering intersections between rurality and marginality.
Our workshop will aim to look also if these contributions could be published as a Special Issue, studying how living on the geographical and personal edge can inform understandings of people and place in gender and q***r studies.
We welcome theoretical, historical and empirically grounded papers.
Please send the abstract of your paper (in English, max. 300 words, as a pdf-file) by using the LYYTI-form by Friday 16th of February 2024. The accepted abstracts automatically form an electronic abstract book, which is available to those who register for the conference. Abstracts cannot be edited afterwards, so please pay special attention to spelling and not include in the abstract personal information (e.g. e-mail address) that you do not want others to see.
Those selected to present their papers will be informed by 8th of March 2024. The registration for the conference will open in March. Both the presenters and other participants will pay the conference fee (50–95 e, MA students’ participation is free). More detailed information on the participation fee can be found on these pages in the In English section.
Submit your abstract at this link with the opening form. The form is bilingual (Finnish/English). The language of the form can be changed from the top left corner of the form.