CFP - Body Modification

Call for papers: Body Modification and the Female Body
Deadline: 10th December 2012

An interdisciplinary one day conference 9th March 2013, University of York

Body modification is a controversial topic within feminism. The debate
centres on
issues of agency, pleasure, oppression, and false consciousness, and often
pitches
different understandings of women, and 'second' and 'third' waves of
feminism, in
opposition. Our definition of body modification is broad, from shaved legs to
buttock implants; from the honed 'fit' body to 'fat-reducing' surgery; from
self-tanning to pro-ana; from piercings to gender reassignment, and much
more.

This conference seeks to create a space where differences of perspective, of
cultural understanding and of theoretical viewpoint can be tackled through
debating
issues of body modification. Our aim is to expand understandings of
various forms of
body modification as well as develop feminist understandings across multiple
disciplines. We hope to attract speakers a wide range of disciplines
including but
not limited to Social Sciences, Women and Gender Studies, History, Medicine,
English, Art and Philosophy.

We welcome abstracts for 20 minute papers, and also encourage people to
submit ideas
for relevant performances or art work.

Areas for discussion are listed below, but we encourage any topic within
the theme
of the conference:Aesthetics, idealism and body modification; Agency,
ownership and
oppression; Embodied experiences; Body image; Body as object; Gendered
experience;
Discourses of modification; Mind/body duality and the individual;
Medicalisation;
Popular feminism and popular culture; Commercialism; Individualism and
neo-liberalism; Sexuality; Femininity and masculinity; The racialised
body; Eating
disorders; Fatness/thinness; Technology; Transgender; The aging body.

Please send abstracts of 250-300 words to bodyprojectsconf@gmail.com by
the 10th
December 2012.
Those who have submitted abstracts will be notified of acceptance by the
1st January 2013.