CALL FOR PAPERS
Proposed panel: Finding a Voice – Latin American Indigenous Women's Participation Within and at Odds with the Indigenous Movement.
AAA Annual Meeting-November 20-24, 2013-Chicago, IL
Panel organizer: María Moreno
Indigenous women have been active participants within the Latin America indigenous movement, its protests, its electoral participation, and its economic development ventures. Research with female movement leaders suggests that their strategies have favored positioning their own agendas within the movement's wider goals of the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples, their self-determination, and the rights to their lands and territories. Nevertheless, indigenous women's agendas are complex and even if in general terms they align with the wider indigenous movement, they may also be at odds with it. Scholars have called attention to tensions between essentialized constructions of indigenous identity and the specific interests of indigenous women. While some indigenous women have contested forms of gender inequalities they find in their own organization and communities (Speed, Hernández Castillo, and Stephen 2006), scholarship also suggest that indigenous institutions (i.e., indigenous customary law) may reinforce forms of inequality that discriminate against indigenous women (Dean 2003; Sieder 2002).
Although the complexity of the relationship between women and social movements has been addressed in relation to the involvement of women in unions, civil rights movements, and resistance movements, it is important to also explore the challenges of indigenous women's participation in indigenous politics. This panel interrogates the decomposition, recomposition, and intensification of gender relations (Elson and Pearson 1981) as indigenous women enter the world of movement politics. In addition, papers will explore the relations between the movement and the wider society, as well as the more quotidian world of development planning and projects in which some indigenous organizations are involved.
Specifically, papers in this session will examine indigenous women's participation vis-à-vis gender dynamics in terms of the challenges they find for their participation, the strategies they use to negotiate these dynamics, and the possibilities of articulating a differentiated agenda that reflects their particular interests. To what extent is women's participation affected by indigenous patriarchies? What role does scale play in women's participation: is the local level a space with better prospects for female movement leaders (Ranaboldo 2003), or is the global space of indigenous politics creating room for the articulation of the voices of indigenous female leaders? What role has development work played in the political involvement of indigenous women in light of its specific requirements for indigenous women's participation or with processes of professionalization (Radcliffe, Laurie, and Andolina 2003)? Is development providing spaces for indigenous women's participation or is it domesticating that participation? Finally, are indigenous women articulating new definitions of feminism that includes their own visions in contrast to what is perceived as Western, foreign, or mestiza versions of feminism?
Please submit paper abstracts of up to 250 words to María Moreno
(maria.moreno@uky.edu) by April 4. Responses will be sent by April 8. Session description is subject to modification based on the specific topics of the included papers.
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Proposed panel: Finding a Voice – Latin American Indigenous Women's
Participation Within and at Odds with the Indigenous Movement.
AAA Annual Meeting-November 20-24, 2013-Chicago, IL
Panel organizer: María Moreno
Indigenous women have been active participants within the Latin America
indigenous movement, its protests, its electoral participation, and its
economic development ventures. Research with female movement leaders
suggests that their strategies have favored positioning their own agendas
within the movement's wider goals of the recognition of the rights of
indigenous peoples, their self-determination, and the rights to their lands
and territories. Nevertheless, indigenous women's agendas are complex and
even if in general terms they align with the wider indigenous movement,
they may also be at odds with it. Scholars have called attention to
tensions between essentialized constructions of indigenous identity and the
specific interests of indigenous women. While some indigenous women have
contested forms of gender inequalities they find in their own organization
and communities (Speed, Hernández Castillo, and Stephen 2006), scholarship
also suggest that indigenous institutions (i.e., indigenous customary law)
may reinforce forms of inequality that discriminate against indigenous
women (Dean 2003; Sieder 2002).
Although the complexity of the relationship between women and social
movements has been addressed in relation to the involvement of women in
unions, civil rights movements, and resistance movements, it is important
to also explore the challenges of indigenous women's participation in
indigenous politics. This panel interrogates the decomposition,
recomposition, and intensification of gender relations (Elson and Pearson
1981) as indigenous women enter the world of movement politics. In
addition, papers will explore the relations between the movement and the
wider society, as well as the more quotidian world of development planning
and projects in which some indigenous organizations are involved.
Specifically, papers in this session will examine indigenous women's
participation vis-à-vis gender dynamics in terms of the challenges they
find for their participation, the strategies they use to negotiate these
dynamics, and the possibilities of articulating a differentiated agenda
that reflects their particular interests. To what extent is women's
participation affected by indigenous patriarchies? What role does scale
play in women's participation: is the local level a space with better
prospects for female movement leaders (Ranaboldo 2003), or is the global
space of indigenous politics creating room for the articulation of the
voices of indigenous female leaders? What role has development work played
in the political involvement of indigenous women in light of its specific
requirements for indigenous women's participation or with processes of
professionalization (Radcliffe, Laurie, and Andolina 2003)? Is development
providing spaces for indigenous women's participation or is it
domesticating that participation? Finally, are indigenous women
articulating new definitions of feminism that includes their own visions in
contrast to what is perceived as Western, foreign, or mestiza versions of
feminism?
Please submit paper abstracts of up to 250 words to María Moreno
(maria.moreno@uky.edu<https://exchange.uky.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=asbCUg-suEiZBaB-m5C4UWPDajml_s8IZBRuA_B68HBeK0VAIQR2Vc1LeHb1TVeX68y4oQM9FEc.&URL=mailto%3amaria.moreno%40uky.edu>)
by April 4. Responses will be sent by April 8. Session description is
subject to modification based on the specific topics of the included
papers.
María Moreno
maria.moreno@uky.edu
