[Commlist] CfA New Directions in Media and Sociology Conference 2020, University of Leicester

Call for Abstracts

New Directions in Media and Sociology Research (NDiMS) conference 2020
*Gender, Equality and Voice*
20 March 2020 | School of Media, Communication & Sociology (University 
of Leicester).

Keynote speakers (confirmed): Dr. Ruth Lewis (University of 
Northumbria), Dr. Jilly Kay (University of Leicester)

Despite decades of social change, the challenge for gender equality 
remains extremely topical. While we celebrate all the feminist/female 
battles that have been won over the years, it remains debatable if 
issues relating to (everyday) sexism and (in)equality have actually 
ameliorated. On the one hand, we have already heard conservative voices 
claiming, for instance, that the #MeToo movement has gone too far. 
Similarly, Greta Thunberg, a massively exposed 16-year old climate 
activist, has been the receiver of an unprecedented amount of verbal 
abuse both by men of politics (you guessed right, we mean Donald Trump) 
and ordinary internet users. It was only in 2018 when Hungary’s far 
right government banned gender studies from the country’s universities. 
On the other hand, gender equality as a major discourse, is attracting 
growing visibility due to the ongoing feminist mobilizations in the 
digital and offline terrain. From the women’s protection units in Rojava 
to Women’s March and Pride Parades and from ‘Dear White People’ 
(Netflix) and #freethenipple to academic research on image - based 
abuse, countless examples highlight the increasing prevalence of gender 
justice in the present as well as the future.

Living in the Hashtag era, our lives are unavoidably influenced by 
online content to a certain degree. So how do people create their own 
voice and via which channels do they choose to express it? Who are the 
receptors of the views and opinions posted online and in what ways do 
online interactions shape the current political scene? How has the issue 
of gender (in)equality been represented through these voices? What is 
the impact of gender equality changes on social, political, cultural and 
economic perspectives?

In this year’s conference we welcome abstracts touching upon the 
following themes:

• Online and offline (Trans) Gender activism
• Harassment, sexist attacks in (digital) public discourse and the 
creation of safe(r) spaces
• Misogyny and rape culture in non-digital/digital environments
• Journalistic representations of gender – based crimes
• Mainstream and social media depictions of feminism
• AI, voice and gender - based bias
• Gender, borders and mobilit-ies
• Gender, race and class
• Global feminist struggles and modes of organization
• Intersectionality in social movements
• Feminism in radical politics
• Postcolonial feminism
• Gender representations in art
• Gender and voice in academic research. Emerging methodologies, ethical 
considerations
• Gender and equality in Higher Education (HE).

We welcome single or co-authored presentations and would like to 
encourage submissions from PhD students, independent researchers as well 
as artists and activists.

Please submit your abstract of 250 words as either a Word document or 
PDF at *(NDiMS2020 /at/ gmail.com)* by *Monday 17th February 2020*.

*Notifications of acceptance*: By 23rd February 2020.

*Costs*: The conference is free but we encourage a contribution of £10 
in solidarity with those attendees whose do not have PhD-funding that 
covers travel costs. These attendees can contact us for additional 
travel funding. There is a cap of £ 75, - and is based upon a first come 
first serve-policy.

*'Collective Care' Workshop*
*
*
This year NDiMS, will host a ‘collective care’ workshop that will take 
place during the conference. We want to create a space where we will be 
able to express and discuss various issues that we might encounter 
within or outside the context of academia, seek collective solutions or 
-why not- contemplate and reflect on our failures! This will be a drop 
in session and attendance is optional.


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