CFP: FEMMSS

FEMMSS 4: Call for Proposals – REVISED SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Paper proposals are invited for the fourth conference of the Association for Feminist Epistemologies, Methodologies, Metaphysics and Science Studies (FEMMSS) to be held at The Pennsylvania State University, May 10-12, 2012.

We welcome new participants and perspectives from across the academy and outside it that provide feminist discussion on any topic in epistemologies, methodologies, metaphysics, or science studies.  Note the following broad themes of recent and ongoing interest:

• Practicing & teaching science as a feminist
• Gender, justice & climate change
• Liberatory approaches to science policy
• Feminist perspectives on cognition, logic, argumentation & rhetoric
• Liberatory methodologies
• Knowledges of resistance
• Experience, authority & ignorance
• Science, technology & the state
• Public philosophy

 REVISION: Proposals must be submitted using the EasyChair conference system.  

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: Please register at http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=femmss4. Enter an abstract of 250-300 words plus bibliography in the “abstract” section, then 3-10 keywords in “keywords” space. Upload a CV of no more than 3 pages in .pdf format or Word (.doc or .docx) into the space for a “paper.” Submissions are due by August 1. 

 (If you have any difficulty with the system contact Cate: hundleby@uwindsor.ca.)

PANEL OR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS:  Please compile these into one submission.  For each presenter include a CV and abstract as above, but also include a sentence or two at the top of the abstracts explaining the general purpose for the session.

Dr. Catherine Hundleby
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Cross-appointed to Women’s Studies
Fellow, Centre for Research in Reasoning, Argumentation and Rhetoric
University of Windsor
MAILING ADDRESS:
Department of Philosophy
University of Windsor
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, Ontario
Canada N9B 3P4

PHONE: 253-3000, ext. 3947
E-MAIL: hundleby [at] uwindsor [dot] ca

CFP: Analytic Feminism at Central APA

The Society for Analytical Feminism invites submissions for a session at the 2012 Central Division APA meetings.

Society for Analytical Feminism Session at the Central Division APA
Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, Illinois
February 15-18, 2012

The Society seeks papers that examine feminist issues by methods broadly construed as analytic, or discuss the use of analytic philosophical methods as applied to feminist issues. Reading time should be about 20 minutes. Authors should submit either  (1) a paper, or (2) an extended abstract, as detailed as possible (up to 1000 words) accompanied by a bibliography. Please delete all self-identifying references from your submission to ensure anonymity.   Send submissions as a word attachment to Robin Dillon (rsd2 [at] lehigh.edu).

Deadline for submissions: August 1, 2011.

Graduate students or underfunded professionals whose papers are accepted will be eligible for the Society’s $250 Travel Stipend. Please indicate on a separate page (or in your covering letter) if you fall into one of these categories.

The Society for Analytical Feminism provides a forum where issues concerning analytical feminism may be openly discussed and examined. Its purpose is to promote the study of issues in feminism by methods broadly construed as analytic, to examine the use of analytic methods as applied to feminist issues, and to provide a means by which those interested in Analytical Feminism may meet and exchange ideas. The Society meets yearly at the Central Division meetings of the APA and frequently organizes sessions for the Eastern Division and Pacific Divisions. Information can be found on our website.

Congressional sex scandals are so manly

I don’t know if the NYT’s sources are right about all the answers, but it’s still entertaining to consider the arguments as to why women tend not to be involved in sexual scandals in American politics, compared to their male colleagues.  It made for good breakfast-table parlay at my house, anyway.  I did observe that there simply aren’t as many women in the Congress as there are men, but my partner observed, rightly, that even controlling for the disproportion, the difference is there.  For whatever reason, when we hear that a U.S. politician funneled money to pay for sex or twittered sexually explicit photos of genitalia, odds are it’s going to be a man.

The Sunday Cat Wants to Get in on the Philosophy

(Thanks, Mr Jender!)

News flash! Bishops declare God is male.

I am so embarassed to be so late on this. In fact, the bishops did this in March. An overreaching nun, who is a very distinguisded theologian at Fordham, had urged language to discuss God that is more inclusive. The Bishops are not having it, just as they are not having other revisionist ideas of Sister elizabeth Johnson.
As the National Catholic Reporter summarizes the the bishops’ views about gendered language in speaking of God:

The “traditional Catholic understanding of God bears no resemblance to Sr. Johnson’s monarchical deity. … In her view, the traditional Christian language for God arises from a patriarchal social structure in which men possess the preponderance of power. …
“The names of God found in the scriptures are not mere human creations that can be replaced by others that we may find more suitable according to human judgment.”

That is, the gendered language that gives us God the Father is independent of the societal structure in which it occurs. Or: it will be a cold day in hell before we ordain women priests.