General Course 2018: New perspectives in intersectional gender research
Gender research is a field in rapid development, both as a result of the theory development and criticism within the field, but also as a result of more and changing gender expressions in the public, increased globalization, and new technologies regarding the understanding of the human as such.
The general course 2018 aims to take the pulse of the development of the past few years, thus placing itself in the extension of a series of ongoing debates in the Norwegian gender research community: What perspectives are we best served with? What perspectives are missing or relegated to the margin? What is meant by intersectionality and how can it be used in research? Is intersectionality an addition to gender research or has it radically changed what gender research is? What is the relationship between intersectionality and identity politics? How does gender research relate to globalization and global capitalism, on the one hand, and to new technologies, on the other?
The course will provide insight into decolonial theory and research practices, queer perspectives, trans-studies, disability theory and post-humanism. What relevance do these perspectives have for Norwegian gender research today?
The course is structured as a mixture between lectures, text studies in smaller groups and presentation/discussion of individual projects.
Speakers
Magdalena Górska, Associate Professor at the Institute for Cultural Inquiry (ICON) at the University of Utrecht, will hold a keynote lecture on intersectionality and materialism. Górska’s work offers intersectional and anthropo-centric but posthumanist discussions on human bodiment and agency and focuses on bodily and affective political practices.
She holds a Ph.D with the dissertation Breathing Matters: Feminist Intersectional Politics of Vulnerability. Her ongoing research deals with people who have attempted or consider suicide and have been given the working title "Unlivable Lives".
Randi Gressgård, professor at the Center for Women's and Gender Research at the University of Bergen, will present queer perspectives. Gressgård’s work addresses migration and minority studies and focuses in particular on multiculturalism, postcolonialism, citizenship, democracy, borders, nationalism and geopolitics.
Her second main area is gender and sexuality studies, with a particular focus on feminist theory and problems of difference as well as on gender and sexual orientation. Lately she has worked with urban studies and planning for diversity.
Wibke Straube, University Lecturer at Karlstad University, will present trans-studies. They holds a PhD with the dissertation Trans Cinema and its Exit Scapes: A Transfeminist Reading of Utopian Sensibility and Gender Dissidence in Contemporary Film.
In their present work, they combines their interest in intersectional, trans and queer embodiements and visual culture with environmental humanities and feminist new materialism.
Nora Simonhjell, Associate Professor in Scandinavian Languages and Literature at Agder University, will present disability studies. Simonhjell holds a PhD with the dissertation Krøplingekroppar. Om litterær framstilling av merkte, aldrande og funksjonshemma kroppar i Lars Ramslies "Biopsi" and Stig Sæterbakkens "Siamesisk".
She works with questions about literary and other aesthetic representation of different bodily natures, with a particular focus on body and gender perspectives as well as on literature and illness. Simonhjell is also a poet.
Sara Orning, postdoctoral fellow at NTNU, will present posthumanism. Orning's postdoctoral project has the title Skin Deep: Entaglements of Materiality and Difference in Questions of the Human.
She is particularly interested in feminist science and technology studies (STS), medical humanities, disability studies, animal studies and literature and film theory. She is co-founder of the Monster Network.
Stine Helena Bang Svendsen, associate professor of pedagogy at NTNU, presents decolonial theory. She holds a PhD with the dissertation Affecting Change? Cultural Politics of Sexuality and "Race" in Norwegian Education.
Her ongoing work focuses on the understanding of gender and sexuality amongst young people, and on racialization and decolonial perspectives on education. Bang Svendsen's research fields include critical race and whiteness studies, LGBT questions, racism, sexuality and education, as well as feminist and norm critical education.
Elisabeth Stubberud, postdoctoral fellow at NTNU, will present decolonial and intersectional research practices. She holds a PhD with the dissertation Au paring in Norway. The production of a (non) worker.
The ongoing postdoctoral project is linked to the project “Norway As a Sea Nation” and addresses narratives about integration and belonging in coastal municipalities. The project investigates knowledge and work as identity markers and is linked to questions about migration and affiliation.
Program
Monday, December 10th
11.30: Joint departure to Solstrand
12.30-13.30: Lunch
13.30-15.00 Intersectionality and Material Agency
Keynote lecture by Magdalena Górska followed by discussion
15.00-15.30 Check-in
15.30-16.30: Text studies/reading groups: Intersectionality
16.30 Coffee / tea
16.45-18.15: Presentation of individual projects in groups
19.30 - Dinner
Tuesday, December 11th
09.30-10.15 Randi Gressgård: Queer perspectives
10.15-11.00 Wibke Straube: Trans-studies
11.00 Coffee / tea
11.15-12.15 Text studies: Queer and trans theory
12.30-13.30 Lunch
13.30-14.15 Nora Simonhjell: Disability theory
14.15-15.00 Sara Orning: Posthumanism
15.15-16.15 Text studies/reading groups: Disability and posthumanism
16.15-16.45 Coffee / tea
16.45-18.15 Presentation of individual projects in groups
19.30 - Dinner
Wednesday, December 12th
09.30-10.15 Stine Helena Bang Svendsen: Decolonial theory
10.15-11.00 Elisabeth Stubberud: Decolonial, intersectional research practice
11.00 Coffee / tea
11.15-12.15 Text studies/reading groups: Decolonialism
12.30-13.30 Lunch
13.30-14.15 Summary
14.30 Joint departure
The registration deadline was 15. October. Please contact idunn.tandstad@uib.no to inquire about late registration.
Course plan and program
The course is made up by lectures and workshops (in smaller groups). The lecturers will be present throughout the whole course, and will comment on the participants’ projects and presentations. Participants must read a selection of literature as preparation for the course.
Workshops with project presentations
In addition to lectures, the course will consist of group work sessions in which the participants present their current work, analysis and texts. Active participation is a requirement. A short, written project description must be submitted before the course.
The project description (4-5 pages) must be submitted to Kari Jegerstedt at SKOK by 15. November. This text will serve as a background for the oral presentation. The oral presentation should focus on the questions above and be about 15 minutes long.
Reading list and approval
The course consists of about 600 pages, that participants are expected to read prior to the course.
The course gives 3 ECTS without and 5 ECTS with approved essay. This means that active participation, reading of literature, written project description and oral presentation with reflections on questions related to methodology give 3 ECTS. A submitted essay after the course give additional 2 ECTS. The essay should be 5000-6000 words long (not counting front page, abstract, illustrations and references).
Participants must apply for recognition of the course at their home institution and this should be done before the course starts. It is also the student’s PhD-program that has the final say about accreditation.
Practical information
The course itself is free, but participants must cover travel and accommodation themselves.
The National Research School offer accommodation for reduced price for PhD-candidates.
Accommodation all 3 days with full board for PhD-candidates (single room): 3500 NOK
For more information about registration and practicalities contact Idunn Tandstad
For more information about the academic content of the course, contact Kari Jegerstedt