[ecrea] CFP: Cultural Studies Association 2012 at UCSD, March 28-April 1, 2012

*CULTURE MATTERS*

University of California, San Diego

La Jolla, CA

March 28-April 1, 2012

Deadline for Proposals:* 19 September, 2011*

The Cultural Studies Association (CSA) invites participation in its 
tenth annual conference. This year’s theme, “Culture Matters,” calls for 
proposals that critically and creatively reflect on culture and “the 
material” broadly conceived. How do we theorize the relationship between 
culture and materiality? In what ways might interdisciplinary formations 
such as ethnic studies, critical gender studies, queer theory, 
indigenous studies, and new media studies challenge or redefine notions 
of the material? How should cultural critics understand the material in 
relationship to the immaterial? What are the cultural-material aspects 
of knowledge production both inside and outside the university? How does 
culture become a material force and how can cultural critics and 
producers intervene in or transform institutions and material practices? 
In short, what do materialist cultural studies projects look like now 
and what forms should they take in the future?

We welcome proposals from all areas and on all topics of relevance to 
cultural studies, including but not limited to literature, history, 
sociology, geography, politics, anthropology, communications, popular 
culture, cultural theory, queer studies, ethnic studies, indigenous 
studies, feminist studies, postcolonial studies, legal studies, science 
studies, media and film studies, material culture studies, visual art 
and performance studies.

While the program committee accepts individual presentation proposals, 
we especially encourage submissions of pre-constituted sessions. We also 
invite proposals that engage with this conference location and its many 
resources.

All conference formats – papers, panels, roundtables, workshops, and 
seminars – are intended to encourage the presentation and discussion of 
projects at different stages of development and to foster intellectual 
exchange and collaboration. Please feel free to adapt the suggested 
formats or propose others in order to suit your session’s goals. If you 
have any questions, please address them to _csaus@pitt.edu_ 
<mailto:(csaus /at/ pitt.edu)>.

All of the conference formats will be 105 minutes in length.

The conference has a finite set of resources available in terms of space 
and technology. In your proposal, you can request specific space and 
technical accommodations, including audio-visual equipment such as 
video/data projectors and DVD/VCR combo players. You will be asked to 
provide a short justification for your request in terms of the goals and 
format of your session. Requests will be evaluated in terms of these 
justifications and available resources.

*1. PRE-CONSTITUTED PANELS *

Pre-constituted panels allow a team of 3-4 individuals to present their 
research, work, and/or experiences, leaving 30-45 minutes of the session 
for questions and discussion. Panels should include 3-4 participants. 
Proposals for pre-constituted panels should include: the title of the 
panel; the name, title, affiliation, and contact information of the 
panel organizer; the names, titles, affiliations, and email addresses of 
all panelists, and a chair and/or discussant; a description of the 
panel's topic (<500 words); and abstracts for each presentation (<150 
words).  Pre-constituted panels are preferred to individual paper 
submissions.

*2.* *INDIVIDUAL PAPERS *

Successful papers will reach several constituencies of the organization 
and will connect analysis to social, political, economic, or ethical 
questions. Proposals for papers should include: the title of the paper; 
the name, title, affiliation, and email address of the author; and an 
abstract of the 20 minute paper (<500 words). 


*3. ROUNDTABLES *

Roundtables allow a group of participants to convene with the goal of 
generating discussion around a shared concern. In contrast to panels, 
roundtables typically involve shorter position or dialogue statements 
(5-10 minutes) in response to questions distributed in advance by the 
organizer. The majority of roundtable sessions should be devoted to 
discussion. Roundtables are limited to no more than five participants, 
including the organizer. We encourage roundtables involving participants 
from different institutions, centers, and organizations. Proposals for 
roundtables should include: the title of the roundtable; the name, 
title, affiliation, and contact information of the roundtable organizer; 
the names, titles, affiliations, and email addresses of the proposed 
roundtable participants; and a description of the position statements, 
questions, or debates that will be under discussion (<500 words).

*4. WORKSHOPS *

Workshops allow a facilitator or facilitating team to set an agenda, 
pose opening questions, and/or organize hands-on participant activities. 
The facilitator or team is responsible for gathering responses and 
results from participants and helping everyone digest them. Proposals 
for workshops should include: the title of the workshop; the name, 
title, affiliation, and contact information of the (lead) facilitator 
and of any co-facilitators; a description of the activities to be 
undertaken (<500 words). Please also include a description of space 
requirements, if appropriate.

*5. SEMINARS *

Seminars are small-group (maximum 15 individuals) discussion sessions 
for which participants prepare in advance of the conference. In previous 
years, preparation has involved shared readings, pre-circulated 
''position papers'' by seminar leaders and/or participants, and other 
forms of pre-conference collaboration. We particularly invite proposals 
for seminars designed to advance emerging lines of inquiry and 
research/teaching initiatives within cultural studies broadly construed. 
We also invite seminars designed to generate future collaborations among 
conference attendees. Once a limited number of seminar topics and 
leaders are chosen, the seminars will be announced through the CSA's 
various public e-mail lists. Participants will contact the seminar 
leader(s) directly who will then inform the Program Committee who will 
participate in the seminar.  Seminars will be marked in the conference 
programs as either closed to non-participants or open to other 
conference attendees as auditors (or in other roles).

A limited number of seminars will be selected by the program committee, 
with a call for participation announced on the CSA webpage and listserv 
no later than 10 October 2011. Interested parties will apply directly to 
the seminar leader(s) for admission to the session by 14 November 2011. 
Seminar leader(s) will be responsible for providing the program 
committee with a confirmed list of participants (names, titles, 
affiliations, and email addresses required) for inclusion in the 
conference program no later than 21 November 2011.

Please note: To run at the conference, seminars must garner a minimum of 
8 participants, in addition to the seminar leader(s). Proposals for 
seminars should include: the title of the seminar; the name, title, 
affiliation, and contact information of the seminar leader/team members; 
and a description of the issues and questions that will be raised in 
discussion, along with a description of the work to be completed by 
participants in advance of the seminar (<500 words). Examples of 
successful seminar descriptions are available on the conference website. 
Individuals interested in participating in (rather than leading) a 
seminar should consult the list of seminars and the instructions for 
signing up for them, available at conference website after 10 October 
2011.  Please direct questions about seminars to S. Charusheela: 
_scharusheela@uwb.edu_ <mailto:(scharusheela /at/ uwb.edu)>.

*6. DIVISION SESSIONS**
** *

A list of CSA divisions is available at here 
<http://culturalstudiesassociation.org/conf/divisions/home>. All 
divisions have two sessions at their command. Divisions may elect to 
post calls on the CSA site for papers and procedures for submission to 
division sessions or handle the creation of their two division sessions 
by other means.  Division chairs will submit their two sessions, 
including the appropriate information as listed above, to the conference 
website. They should also email their two sessions directly to the CSA’s 
“division wrangler” – Bruce Burgett: _burgett@uw.edu_ 
<mailto:(burgett /at/ uw.edu)> – by 19 September 2011.

*7. PANEL CHAIRS *

We invite people to volunteer to chair panels. To do so please submit 
your name, title, affiliation, and email address, as well as a brief 
list of your research interests through the conference website. * *

*Submission Deadline and Process *

The CSA administers submissions electronically. Please prepare all the 
materials required to propose your session according to the given 
directions before you begin electronic submission. We recommend saving a 
copy of this information in a Word document. Then go to: 
_http://www.culturalstudiesassociation.org/_.  You will be asked to 
enter the information into the fields provided (you may choose to cut 
and paste).

The Program Committee will send final notifications regarding session 
proposals no later than* 5** December 2011*.


In order to be listed in the program, conference registration – which 
includes membership in the CSA – must be completed online before* 27** 
February 2012*. All program information – names, presentation titles, 
and institutional affiliations – will be based on initial conference 
submissions.

Karen Lillis

CSA Office Coordinator

Cultural Studies Association (U.S.)

(csaus /at/ pitt.edu)

Ninth Annual Meeting of the CSA (U.S.)

Columbia College

Chicago, IL

March 24 – March 26, 2011

NEW WEBSITE: http://www.culturalstudiesassociation.org/