Introducing Ecofeminism / Working Against Stereotypes (11/15/02; ASLE, 5/3/03-5/7/03)
CFP: Neither "Man-Haters" nor "Bunny-Huggers": Working Against Stereotypes
to Help Students in Urban Environments Understand Environmentalism,
Feminism, and Ecofeminism: A Roundtable Discussion
Are you looking for an opportunity for genuine dialogue about your teaching
and research? Would you prefer this medium? Please consider participating
in a dynamic roundtable discussion.
While many of us embrace philosophies of environmentalism, feminism, and
ecofeminism, students often approach such philosophies with extreme
skepticism based upon fallacies and stereotypes, failing to understand
people whom they perceive as tree-huggers or bunny-huggers
and assuming that feminism equals man-hating.
This roundtable discussions purpose is to share experiences and
strategies
for helping students of various collegiate levels and majors see beyond the
stereotypes while providing them with textual support for introspection so
they can develop their own philosophies of their own volition regarding
literature, the environment, and gender. Additional discussion will center
around the environment of the campus and the location of the campus within
larger urban environments.
This roundtable session is being proposed for the Fifth Biennial Conference
of Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment (ASLE) to be
held in Boston, MA (5/3/2003-5/7/2003). "The conference's slogan is taken
from Henry David Thoreau's 'Ktaadn': 'the solid earth! the actual world!'
The conference themes ("Sea--City--Pond--Garden") seek to emphasize the
attractions of the conference location, so presentations are especially
encouraged on coastal literature, urban and suburban nature, environmental
justice, the Thoreauvian and Emersonian influences on nature writing, and
landscapes with human figures."
Participants must be ASLE members (http://www.asle.umn.edu/about/form.txt).
Information about the Roundtable Format (cited from ASLE website:
http://www.asle.umn.edu/conf/asle_conf/2003/cfp.html
Roundtable Discussions: In order to better engage with issues relevant to
our membership, to encourage presentation alternatives to the paper-reading
format, and to reduce the number of concurrent sessions while at the same
time welcoming as many participants as possible, we encourage roundtable
submissions on the topics listed at the top of this CFP. These roundtables,
or issues forums, can accommodate anywhere from four to a dozen
participants. Send a one-page position paper on the topic in order to be
considered. Note, however, that the position papers will not be read as part
of the roundtable. Rather, they will be reviewed by the roundtable chair,
who will cull from them pertinent issues and discussion questions. As ASLE
grows, we face an increasing tension between keeping our conference
inclusive and keeping our program schedule manageable. To maximize the
number of people who can present and to enhance the interest of sessions and
the attention-spans of attendees, we encourage session formats in which
several presenters discuss their work and engage in conversation about it
rather than read papers verbatim, making that work otherwise available to
those who wish to read it in entirety.
Please send 1-page position statements to:
Corine Coniglio, Ph.D.
Asst. Prof. of Communications & Literature
Liberal Studies Dept.
Kettering University
1700 W. Third Ave.
Flint, MI 48504
E-mail submissions are encouraged: including the proposal within the text of
e-mail message is preferred to file attachments: cconigli@kettering.edu
Every applicant will receive a prompt response.
