Kudos to Amy Kind and the PAC APA 2012 program committee

I’ve been trying to find time to go back over the program to compile a good list of all the ways that the APA, 2012, seemed to be wonderfully friendly for women philosophers. Certainly, it helped a lot that the Carus Lectures, the Dewey Lecture and the Presidential lecture were given by such outstanding women philosophers. But there was a lot more that distinguished it from much earlier ones, where women in clusters were complaining about our evident role as outsiders.

This year it was the closest to an inclusive APA conference that I’ve seen in a long time.

Of course, there are many I haven’t seen. I expect there is a turn taking place in the APA, and other division conferences will be reflecting this also. So rather than suggest the others are behind, let me instead compare this year with how the 2008 Pacific APA seemed, to me at least. And that’s easy because I put up a video that served as a visual/musical metaphor. Unfortunately, the wonderfully apt tune was under some sort of protection and another much gentler music is substituted. So if you want to recreate a metaphor for the 2008, do follow these steps: (1) start the top video; (2) turn the sound on the video (NOT your computer) way down; (3) start the second video at loud. Ouch, that’s what it felt like.

Tweeting and Teaching

I’ve been following through the links in comments on a post about blogs. It turns out that there’s quite a bit at LSE about the new interactive media. The posts include a very interesting one on the use of twitter as part of teaching.

I have to confess that the guide seems opaque, at least to me, on first reading it. It’s like trying to understand how the iPad works by just reading a manual. Unfortunately, you need to act through the instructions with the actual iPad. (Does this create a problem for the idea that knowing how is just knowing that? Is it feasible to say that in working through the problems what you get is more knowing that? Hmmm. I wouldn’t be asking this question were it not for Jason Stanley’s work, you will have guessed.)

Still, it might be well to accept the challenge and think of trying it out. One suggestion is that if one tweets about what one is doing, then one’s students will understand why one doesn’t answer their email right away.

And perhaps the public will get an idea that we don’t just lay about sunning our selves like seals.

Here the guide:

Using Twitter in university research, teaching, and impact activities

CFP Updated for SAF2012 at Vanderbilt U

Conference of the Society for Analytical Feminism

Special Conference Theme —

Take it to the Bridge:

Crossing between analytic and continental feminist philosophies

October 4-7, 2012

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Submission deadline: May 30, 2012

Take it to the bridge: 1. (In music) A phrase that often connotes a change of key, a connecting but distinctive series of notes

The Society for Analytical Feminism invites long abstracts (1000-1500 words) on all topics in feminist philosophy.  Accepted papers will be given 30 minutes of presentation time.

Analytical approaches to feminist topics are happily invited as usual.  In addition, special consideration will be given to abstracts that bridge feminist analytical and continental approaches, including the history of the analytic/continental “divide” in philosophy, mutually informing applications of analytic and continental philosophical methods to specific questions, analyses of the work of philosophers who bridge analytic and continental traditions or of collaborations between analytic and continental philosophers, methodological debates about the study of philosophy, including the value of different traditions, theoretical accounts of pluralism in philosophy.

Plenary speakers

Brooke Ackerly, Vanderbilt University

Amy Allen, Dartmouth College

Samantha Brennan, Western University, Canada

Sharon Crasnow, Norco College

Heidi Grasswick, Middlebury College

Kelly Oliver, Vanderbilt University

Anita Superson, University of Kentucky

Naomi Zack, University of Oregon

Submission information

Send abstract in MSWord as an attachment via email to the chair of the program committee at <safcon2012 [at] gmail.com>.  Please delete self-identifying information from abstract.  Include in body of e-mail: name, title, contact information, and, if applicable, institutional affiliation.

For questions about local arrangements, including accessibility, at Vanderbilt University, contact Marilyn Friedman: <marilyn.friedman@vanderbilt.edu>.

Generous support for the conference has been provided by the Philosophy Department and the Dean of Arts & Sciences of Vanderbilt University.

Animal Gender Roles

explained in cartoons. See Comics Alliance.

Here’s a sample: Seahorse

The Sunday CAT would like to do a survey to determine the extent of ennui among cats.

In its French manifestation, it is surely an attractive feature!

Many thanks, JT!

And thanks to Alpha for Henri, part one.