[ecrea] CFP: Realizing Resistance (An Interdisciplinary Conference on Star Wars, Episodes VII, VIII & IX)

Please follow the link to a CFP for Realizing Resistance: An 
Interdisciplinary Conference on Star Wars, Episodes VII, VIII & IX 
<https://digital-frontiers.org/resistance/>. Alternatively, the text of 
the CFP can be found below.


        An Interdisciplinary Conference on /Star Wars/, Episodes VII,
        VIII & IX

May 2–4, 2019, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

Although /Star Wars: Episode IV–A New Hope/ may have started out on 
shaky ground, its cinematic release in 1977 forever changed the 
landscape of American pop culture. As Douglas Brode has argued, “/Star 
Wars/, simply put, had turned out to be not merely the latest momentary 
blip on the entertainment screen but an essential element of how we 
define ourselves through the movies and related media” (2012, 7). Far 
from simply reflecting a particular film genre, /Star Wars /has become a 
cultural phenomenon that has impacted pop culture for over four decades.

Throughout the original trilogy, the prequels, and most recently the 
sequels, the films have focused on the struggle between Imperial forces 
and rebellious fighters who seek to throw off the yoke of an 
authoritarian regime. In the opening crawl of /Episode VII–The Force 
Awakens/, we are told that the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa, 
is fighting against the First Order so that peace and justice may be 
restored to the galaxy. This conference seeks to critically explore what 
it means to be “with the Resistance” by focusing on Episodes VII, VIII, 
and (to the extent possible) IX, as well as the various ways these films 
reflect, contribute to, or even fail to show “how we define ourselves 
through the movies and related media.” In other words, this conference 
aims to bring together scholars from across disciplines to examine the 
three most recent /Star Wars/ films as cultural texts, with an explicit 
focus on themes of resistance and justice, and on how these films 
contribute to, reflect, or depart from broader contemporary cultural 
practices and social discourses.

We are interested in, for example, the paradox inherent in certain fan 
criticisms of /Episode VII–The Last Jedi/ as “social justice 
propaganda,” in light of the enduring theme of resistance and justice 
throughout the film franchise. We seek to analyze what it means for 
/Star Wars /slogans to be used on posters at contemporary political 
rallies, in what ways, and by whom. We want to ask how Episodes VII, 
VIII & IX might be productively used in a classroom to teach students 
about various concepts of justice, or about histories of social 
resistance movements. We want to pose critical questions about cultural 
appropriation and Orientalism in the most recent films and throughout 
the franchise. We also want to explore what limitations there may be in 
attempting to theorize about and practice resistance to hegemonic power 
in relation to a film franchise owned by one of the most powerful and 
successful corporations in our contemporary capitalist economy.

Scholars may analyze any one of the three sequels, or some combination 
of them. While we are aware that Episode IX will not be released until 
December, we have included it here in order to give interested 
participants the opportunity to reflect on trailers, the marketing in 
the lead-up to the cinematic release, or even to include analysis of the 
film itself by the time of the conference. Further, because the most 
recent films are part of the larger franchise, we welcome (and would 
even expect) papers that put Episodes VII, VIII & IX in dialogue with 
any other /Star Wars /films. Finally, in addition to the films 
themselves, papers may engage with any media related to the sequels 
including comics, animated series, SW fiction, merchandise, advertising, 
or other types of social media.

And so, we invite all interested participants to join us in thinking 
about the themes of resistance to hegemony, justice, and the restoration 
of peace in Episodes VII, VIII & IX and how these films reflect, 
contribute to, or depart from wider social discourses and cultural 
phenomena. In analyzing “the Resistance,” in the films and beyond, paper 
proposals, in the form of 250-word abstracts, may address—but are not 
limited to—any of the following topics:

  * Generational differences or continuities
  * Sexualities
  * Models of friendship
  * Human relationships with technology
  * The role of the Environment/non-human animals/creatures
  * The role of women
  * The role of people of color
  * The role of children/young people
  * Ambiguity around “good guys” and “bad guys” in social conflicts
  * Family/found family/lineage/heritage
  * Class hierarchies
  * Cultural appropriation and Orientalism
  * Heroism through necessity
  * Digital Scholarship and New Media Studies interventions
  * The significance of names/naming
  * The use of humor
  * Clothing/fashion/color motifs
  * Religion/belief/ritual
  * Icons/symbols
  * Hope
  * Languages
  * Teaching

As aca-fans it is our hope that this conference is both a celebration of 
the films, and the broader culture engendered by the /Star Wars 
/franchise, as well as an opportunity to engage in constructively 
critical analysis. We welcome scholars from any discipline, employing 
any methodology, however in the spirit of the conference theme, we 
request that all papers avoid racism, sexism, ableism, classism, 
homophobia, transphobia, and religious bigotry.

Accepted participants will be invited to present their 20-minute papers, 
or to exhibit their work, at a two-and-a-half-day interdisciplinary 
conference at the University of North Texas in Denton. To submit a paper 
proposal, please *submit this form 
<https://goo.gl/forms/EXVIyx74BaToVNyC3>* with the following information:

  * Name, institutional affiliation, email address of corresponding
    author and all co-authors (if applicable)
  * 250-word abstract
  * Short bio


        *Dates and Deadlines*

Submission Deadline: November 15, 2018
Notifications: January 5, 2019
Conference Dates: May 2–4, 2019

If you have questions please contact (resistance /at/ digital-frontiers.org) 
<mailto:(resistance /at/ digital-frontiers.org)>. Follow @RealizeResist 
<https://twitter.com/RealizeResist> on Twitter for Star Wars chat and 
conference updates.

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