CFP: Becoming Visible

Budimka Uskokovic Announcement
Location
Ohio, United States
Subject Fields
German History / Studies, Women's & Gender History / Studies, Sexuality Studies

BECOMING VISIBLE 
 
12th Annual Germanic Graduate Student Association Conference at THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY January 24th – 25th 2020 
 
Keynote Address by Professor Ervin Malakaj  
 
Since 1919, when women first secured the right to vote in Germany, they have gained increasing visibility in the public sphere. The proclamation of the Weimar Republic also ushered in increasing visibility for queer expression. This does not mean there were no setbacks: the 1933 destruction of Magnus Hirschfeld’s Institute for Sexual Science powerfully evidences the force of oppressive resistance to change. Nonetheless, other advancements have been made since. Feminist organizing brought women together across class and national divisions; same-sex peoples secured marital and adoption rights. This conference explores the following questions: What other parallel changes related to women and queer visibility have happened since 1919? Did women and queers in Germany have full control of their reality and to what end? Why weren't queer people granted rights before recent improvements in legal standing? What do we know about the experiences of women and queers in other German-speaking contexts? How is discrimination based on gender and sexuality addressed in German studies? What historical events have prompted or inspired change in social perspective or law?  This conference will investigate such questions in the context of feminist and LGBTQI history in the German-speaking world. We seek to scrutinize distinct perspectives on these communities in order to understand the core values of modern German society. The graduate students in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures welcome abstracts from a variety of disciplines, including but not limited to literature, film, art, history, linguistics, pedagogy, anthropology, cultural studies, gender studies, migration and environmental humanities, legal studies. Potential topics include:  
 
• Feminist theory in the German context from 20th century to present • Roles and autonomy of women in the Weimar era  • Trümmerfrauen (rubble women) • Female sexuality in German cinema  • German social movements focused on sexuality and gender  • Urban and/or rural presentations of gender and female sexuality • Gender expression/Gender roles in East Germany  • Genealogy of homosexuality • Homosexuality in German society • Women of Color and Queer of Color studies in the German context • Presentation and performance of Queer identities • German LGBTQI icons • Role of linguistics and education in LGBQT studies    • LGBTQI voices in German disability studies 

 
Please submit an abstract of 250 words along with a brief biography and a summary for the program (max. 50 words) to Budimka Uskokovic (uskokovic.2@osu.edu) by Friday, November 22nd, 2019. Expected presentation length will be 20 minutes. You can find more information about us and past conferences on our website: http://org.osu.edu/ggsa/. 

Contact Information

Budimka Uskokovic

uskokovic.2@osu.edu

Contact Email
uskokovic.2@osu.edu