[Commlist] CFP Sex in Contemporary Media: An Interdisciplinary Conference

*_SexinContemporaryMedia CFP_*

**

Intheir first issue of the Porn Studies journal, Attwood and Smith 
(2014) argued that “mediated forms ofsexhave become more commonplace and 
commercialsexproducts, services and representations have become steadily 
more visible.” Nearly ten years later,inthe wake of #MeToo, SESTA/FOSTA, 
the rise of abortion bans and the Gender Recognition Act Reform, 
discussions of the role ofsexand people’s relationship tosexandsexual 
practicesinour society have a new urgency bothinthe UK and beyond.

Inthis current climate, the many iterations of media have 
offeredsexandsexualityincreasing visibility, providing platforms to 
construct and express the body and itssexual practices. Yet, the arts 
and new media forms have also become a ground for a hostile discourse, 
sanitization and legal censorship towardssexandsexuality. Now we see 
this complex relationship play outina way where freedom ofsexual 
expression and complete body autonomy conflict with the policing and 
regulation of these media forms. Representations ofsexual culture within 
media are now sites of enquiry, highlighting the social, cultural and 
political contexts that surround it.

SexinContemporaryMedia brings togetherinterdisciplinary perspectives on 
both emerging and ongoing issues surroundingsexand media. The conference 
will be a free 3-day hybrid event, taking place from the *4 - 6 October 
2023*. The first two days of the conference will be held on Zoom. The 
final day will be held as a hybrid event at the University of Warwick, 
with the opportunity to also join via Zoom.

​

_PROPOSALS:_

Weinvite scholars, researchers, artists, and activists engaging with 
media studies, gender andsexuality studies, cultural studies, law, 
social sciences and the arts to submit proposals. We also welcome and 
encourage proposals from artists, writers, media 
practitioners,sexworkers and activists who encounter and engage 
withsexand issues aroundsexual practicesintheir work. The conference 
seeks to explore modern notions ofsexandsexuality and the politics of 
their representationsinvarious forms of media,including film, 
television, literature, music, social media, and more from both local 
and global perspectives. We encourage submissions from around the world 
and hope to create aninternational conversation which addresses various 
national and local contexts. We aim to foster an engaging and critical 
discussion surrounding the current discourse aboutsexuality,sexwork, and 
the relationship betweensexual practices and gender both within and 
beyond Academia. Topics mightinclude but are not limited to:

·Representations ofsexuality andsexual practicesincontemporarymedia.

·The role of mediainshapingsexual identities and practices both broadly 
andinparticular national or local contexts.

·The impact of digital media onsexual culture and practices.

·The politics ofsexwork and its portrayalinmedia.

·Representations of kink andsexual subculturesinmedia and other artistic 
practices.

·The censorship and regulation ofsexual contentinmedia and other 
artistic practices.

·The cultural and social significance of pornographyincontemporarysociety.

·Theintersectionality ofsexuality, gender, race, class and 
disabilityinrelation tosexual practices.

·The relationship between media representations ofsex/sexuality and 
changesinlaw.

·The role of art, literature and other creative formsinchallenging and 
subverting dominant narratives ofsexualityinmedia.

·New frameworks, challenges and changesindiscourses and approaches 
tosexinmedia from both a theoretical and a practical standpoint.

​

_SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:_

We welcome proposals forindividual papers with theoretical, historical 
and practice-based approaches, as well as more non-conventional 
approaches to presentations to accommodate both academic and 
non-academic participants. If you have any queries about your 
presentation format, feel free to contact the organisers prior to the 
submission of your abstract.

Please email _scmccommittee@gmail.com_ with the following:

·A Word document titled SCMC 2023 containing the title and abstract of 
no more than 300 words

·A *separate* Word document containing a 100-word biography 
writteninthird person,including your research,institutional affiliation, 
and pronouns

·Your preference for online orin-person participation

·An outline of any additional technical requirements for a non-academic 
presentation

_The deadline for submission is *29 May 2023*__._ Presentations should 
be 15-20 minutes and each panel will be followed by a Q&A. We 
areinterestedindeveloping the conferenceinto a book or a special issue – 
more details will follow on this after the conference.

​

_FUNDING:_

We are able to offer seven bursaries of up to £60 to support self-funded 
students and/or participants withoutinstitutional support with travel 
costs for thein-person event at the University of Warwick on the 6 
October. If you wish to apply for one of these bursaries, please confirm 
your self-funded status or line of work at the bottom of your abstract, 
along with a brief summary explaining why you require the support.

We will let you know the outcome of your application upon acceptance of 
your proposal.

​

*This conference is aninclusive space towards minority groups 
andsexworkers, and does not accept any discussions or submissions that 
are transphobic, homophobic, misogynistic, ableist, racist or 
xenophobic. It will be a pro-inclusive, safe space, not just for 
students or academics, but also other members/peers to engage with the 
topic.*

This conference is made possible by the generous funding of Midlands4Cities.


URL to the conference website: 
https://www.sexincontemporarymedia.com/call-for-papers 
<https://www.sexincontemporarymedia.com/call-for-papers>

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