(Re)Placement (Graduate Conference)
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Naima Mohammadi (University of Pittsburgh)
In order for me to write poetry that isn’t political
I must listen to the birds
and in order to hear the birds
the warplanes must be silent.
– Marwan Makhoul, Palestinian Poet
Sense of place exists across the physical, emotional, and communal realms and is constantly in flux. We want to explore the many ways in which defining a place also requires redefining it, uncovering new perspectives, and exploring the potential inherent in the instability and expansiveness of this term.
***
We invite scholars, artists, and activists to examine the processes through which spaces are transformed into places and the consequential impacts of such transformations. Of particular interest are the ways group identities redefine themselves in response to changes in their physical and conceptual 'territories', and how places shape our subjectivities and imaginations in the era of globalization and neoliberalization. We encourage exploration of the roles that 'places' play in the context of geopolitics, forced and voluntary migrations, and the rise of digital media. Additionally, we welcome investigations into how literature and other arts prompt reflection on our own placements within these negotiations and inspire reimagining of these positions.
We welcome submissions exploring the concept of place across various aspects, including but not limited to:
- Emotional spaces, conditions, and perceptions
- Movement, migration, and reclamation
- Physical landscapes, habitats, dwellings, settings, and surroundings
- Behaviors, networks, and effects of digital spaces
- Situation of the humanities within academic and social spaces
- Reconsideration and repositioning of historical texts
- Intersectional exploration of social, cultural, and political spaces
- Promises and pitfalls of the transnational and the postnational
- Solidarity networks
We invite scholars (including undergraduates) from all disciplines, along with artists and activists to send their abstracts of no more than 250 words (along with a paper title, short author’s bio, and 4-5 keywords) to (stab.binghamton@gmail.com). Please submit the abstract using your institutional email address unless you prefer to be enlisted as an independent scholar, activist, or artist.
The deadline for abstracts is the 31st of January.
https://shiftingtidesanxiousborders.weebly.com
Shifting Tides, Anxious Borders (STAB)