Workshop - Intimate matters
October 25-26 2017, Karlstad University
The concept of intimacy has a long history in social science. However, it has in recent decades figured in discussions and research on changes in close relation-ships, the shifting boundary between public and private, and the associated shifts in gender relations. It has been increasingly clear that intimacy cannot be identi-fied with a specific sphere (like the family), but is perhaps better understood as an element in interaction that is being enacted, refined and rationalised in many different societal domains.
Today, intimacy is increasingly applied in the post/humanities and social sciences to understand human-animal and human-nature relations. It is also figuring in trans research to understand the transing body and its break from the matrix of cis-heterosexuality.
How do these new contributions to the field, expanding intimacy beyond the human and the cis-heterosexual framework, challenge previous concepts? Is intimacy simply many concepts? Among different understandings of intimacy, is it valuable or even possible to have shared narratives, definitions, assumptions and/or research interests?
Keynotes by
Kaisa Kuune (Ketokivi), University of Eastern Finland: Intimacy and relationality. On the dynamics of closeness and distance
Tara Mehrabi, Linköping University: Becoming fly-sensitized: on affective intimacies of doing Alzheimer’s science with Drosophila
Gender studies at Karlstad University and Gexcel International Collegium, one of the largest gender studies networks in Scandinavia, invites you to a workshop on intimacy at Karlstad University, Sweden, from 25 October 2017 13.00 to 26 October 16.00. We look forward to two days of discussions, presentations and collaborative work on intimacy. Scholars from all disciplines with an interest in intimacy are welcome. As we seek to reduce the number of presentations and instead invite longer discussions, we welcome you to participate with or without an abstract or paper.
Gexcel will cover the travel costs and accommodation for around 7 participating scholars (excluding the specially invited speakers). Please indicate if you need to have your costs covered in this way!
Abstracts for presentations are welcome on September 10 at the latest. Abstract length approx. 300 words. Please also add a short bio of approximately 150 words.
Please send a note about your participation, abstract, bio, suggestions for discussion and/or need for coverage of travel expenses, to: andreas.henriksson@kau.se.