CFP: Mothers Under Fire: Mothering in Conflict Areas

CALL FOR PAPERS  

Demeter Press is seeking submissions for an edited collection entitled  

Mothers Under Fire: Mothering in Conflict Areas  

Editors: Dr. Tatjana Tak!eva and Dr. Arlene Sgoutas  

DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS: July 31, 2013

With the increase of conflict areas worldwide, this collection will look at the experiences of women mothering in conflict areas. Recent examples from the Middle East, The Balkans, Sudan, Somalia, the Congo, Peru and other places around the globe affected by military and civil-ethnic conflict have shown that violence is often gendered and has a unique impact on women and mothers. The aim of this collection is to engage with the nature and meaning of motherhood and mothering during times of war and/or in zones experiencing the threat of war.

Topics can also include (but are not limited to):

Mothering in occupied lands, refugee camps, disaster zones, military conflict; mothers and sexual violence; children born of war time rape; humanitarian assistance; mothers and nationalism; relationships between mothers and daughters/sons in times of armed/conflict; giving birth during war or under the threat of war; mothers and militarization; mothers contesting gender norms and practices in conflict areas and/or during times of war; mothers and human rights/violations; mothers and the justice system; motherhood, mothering and forms of sexual or racial discrimination in conflict zones; mothers as peacemakers; mothers and child soldiers; mothering and the family in conflict areas; mothers and armed conflict on the screen; activist mothers; the role of social media and mothers in conflict zones; mothers and military/political resistance.

We welcome perspectives from a variety of disciplines. Cross-cultural, historical and comparative work is encouraged.

Submission Guidelines:

Abstracts: 300 words. Please include a 50-word biography (if Indigenous, include nation/affiliation)  

Deadline for Abstracts is July 31, 2013  

Please send submissions and inquiries directly to: Dr. Tatjana Tak!eva, Tatjana.Takseva@SMU.ca or Dr. Arlene Sgoutas sgoutasg@msudenver.edu  

Completed manuscripts not exceeding 20 pages will be due early spring 2014, and should conform to MLA guidelines. Acceptance is contingent and will depend upon the strength and fit of the final piece.

DEMETER PRESS

140 Holland St. West, P.O. Box 13022 Bradford, ON, L3Z 2Y5 (tel) 905-775-5215

http://www.demeterpress.org info@demeterpress.org

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

CFP: "This is What a Feminist Slut Looks Like": Perspectives on the Slutwalk Movement

CALL FOR PAPERS Demeter Press is seeking submissions for an edited collection  "This is What a Feminist Slut Looks Like": Perspectives on the Slutwalk Movement Editors: Alyssa Teekah, Erika Jane Scholz, May Friedman and Andrea O'Reilly DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS: April 15, 2013! PUBLICATION DATE: May 2014

We seek various and diverse feminist perspectives on Slutwalk as both experience and movement. In April 2011, a team of five people put together Slutwalk Toronto, a protest responding to slut shaming and victim blaming culture, exemplified by a recent event at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University. In the name of campus "safety", Toronto Police Constable Michael Sanguinetti advised "women should avoid dressing like sluts in order to not be victimized". The sentiment of those in the over 3000 crowd that day were shared by folks around the globe - leading to over 200 Slutwalks internationally and the establishment of "Slutwalk" organizing groups. This collection seeks to engender a critical engagement with the global phenomenon of the Slutwalk movement, considering both its strengths and limitations. We welcome submissions, which take up Slutwalk through a feminist lens (broadly defined) considering Slutwalk as a successful social movement, a site of tremendous controversy, and an ongoing discussion among and between waves of feminists across the life cycle and across the globe. While the collection seeks to unpack the discursive performance of Slutwalk, we also welcome experiential submissions that explore the experiences of people who attended Slutwalks. This collection aims to bring together scholars, activists, community members and other authors. Submissions may include scholarly writing, art, photography, poetry, and creative non-fiction. Topics can also include (but are not limited to): Tensions between second and third wave feminism; the impact of social media; protest, activism and social movements, identity politics; impact of and responses to Slutwalk; intersectional analyses of Slutwalk; bodies and embodiment; queer, critical race, critical disability and other engagements with Slutwalk; sex-positive feminism; performativity; role of Slutwalk in feminist history and feminist futures; Slutwalks held in non-Western contexts; and impact of the word "slut".

Submission Guidelines Abstracts: 250 words. Please include a 50-word biography Deadline for abstracts is April 15, 2013 Please send submissions and inquiries directly to: Alyssa Teekah, Alyssa.teee@gmail.com Erika Jane Scholz, erikajscholz@gmail.com May Friedman, may.friedman@ryerson.ca Andrea O'Reilly: aoreilly@yorku.ca Completed manuscripts not exceeding 18 pages (4500 words) will be due October 31, 2013, and should conform to MLA guidelines. Acceptance is contingent and will depend upon the strength and fit of the final piece.

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

CFP: Supporting and Empowering Mothers in the Academe (Conference)

CALL FOR PAPERS

Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (MIRCI)

Supporting and Empowering Mothers in the Academe: 

Strategies for Institutional Change and Individual Agency

June 24-27, 2013, Toronto, Canada 

The conference, "Supporting and Empowering Mothers in the Academe: Strategies for Institutional Change and Individual Agency," will examine the subject of mothers in the academe from scholarly and activist perspectives by drawing on academic papers and interactive workshops. It will join scholars that specialize in academic motherhood research with individuals and agencies that support mothers in the academe.

According to recent studies of both academic women and mothers, gender discrimination in general, and that targeting academic mothers, is pervasive in academia. According to a recent Statistics Canada Report women comprise only 35.6 percent of all tenure track/tenured university faculty in Ontario. In 2009 at Canadian universities, only 30.9 percent of tenured positions were held by women, but 53.4 percent of non-tenured lecturers were women. The Canadian Association of University Teachers Almanac of Post-Secondary Education 2011/2012 reveals that only 21.8 percent of Full Professors in Canada are women and only 16.3 percent of Tier 1 Canada Research Chairs are held by women.

The conference will examine obstacles to and strategies for maternal empowerment in the academe within the context of institutional change and individual agency. The roles that race, class, sexuality, age, ability, religion and ethnicity play in reinforcing/constructing obstacles to the advancement of maternal empowerment and agency in academe, and the structural changes needed to remove them, will be explored. The conference will draw attention to the experiences of graduate student mothers; many of the papers and workshops will be presented by graduate students, and others are concerned with mentoring graduate students.

The main aim of the conference is to deliver models, strategies, and practices of maternal empowerment that are relevant and practical; the activists, service providers, and policy makers who advocate for mothers in academe must be able to utilize them. As reputable public institutions, universities must put family-friendly policies and attitudes into practice that uphold gender equality; this will allow women to balance their academic career paths with the stages of motherhood. Universities stand to tarnish their reputations and lose some of their most talented scholars if they do not.

The conference will generate valuable information on what is needed to support mothers throughout their academic careers, and uphold women's contribution to university culture.  

We invite submissions for papers as well as workshops from faculty, students, service providers, activists as well as members of faculty unions and associations.

If you are interested in being considered as a presenter for either a paper

and/or workshop, please send a 250 word abstract, a 50-word bio by March 1, 2013 to aoreilly@yorku.ca

** TO SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT FOR THIS CONFERENCE, ONE MUST BE

A 2013 MEMBER of MIRCI: http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org

Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (MIRCI)

140 Holland St. West, PO Box 13022, Bradford, ON, L3Z 2Y5

(905) 775-9089

info@motherhoodinitiative.org
http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

CFP: Mothers and Work; Mothering as Work: Policy, Ideology, Experience, and Representation

CALL FOR PAPERS

Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (MIRCI) 

Mothers and Work; Mothering as Work:

Policy, Ideology, Experience, and Representation

June 24-27,2013,Toronto,Canada

The conference, taking place at the same time as the Academic Motherhood and the Communicating Mothers Conference will explore the topic of mothers and work and mothering as work across a wide range of perspectives and themes.

Topics include but are not limited to:

Work/Life Balance; "The Mommy Wars"; "Opting Out"; Maternal Activism; Motherhood Movements; Mothers and Leisure; Representations of Working Mothers and Mothering as Work in Literature, Film, Art, and Social Media; Mothers and Education; Other Mothering/Co-Mothering; Mothering and Migration; Migrant Mothers; Transnational Mothering/Mothers; Carework; Motherwork and Feminism; Maternal Thinking; Maternal Practice; Breastfeeding/Pregnancy and the Workplace; Reproductive Labour; Social Reproduction; Families; Fathering; Becoming a Mother; Mothers in Various Workplaces (Law, Academe, Theatre, The Arts, Medicine, Government etc); Narratives of Mothers at Work/Mothering as Work, Motherhood Studies and Maternal Theory on Work and Mothering; Young Mothers and Work; Empowered Mothering, Feminist Theory/Activism on Mothers/Work; Matricentric Feminism; Marginalized Mothers/Marginalized Work; Domestic Labour; Childcare; Mothers and Unions; Public Policy and Mothers; Maternity Leave, Politics and/of Mother Work; At-Home Mothers; Mothers and the Labour Movement; Histories of Mothers and Work/Mothering as Work'; Mothers and Daughters/Mothers and Sons; Mothering and Neo-Liberalism; LGBTQ Mothers and Work/Mothering as Work; Maternal Health and Wellbeing; Mothers and Poverty; Motherhood and Globalization; Disabled Mothers and Work/The Work of Mothering a Disabled Child; and Mothers and Work and the Law.

We invite submissions for papers as well as workshops from scholars, researchers, students, service providers and activists.

If you are interested in being considered as a presenter for either a paper

and/or workshop, please send a 250 word abstract, a 50-word bio by March 1, 2013 to aoreilly@yorku.ca

** TO SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT FOR THIS CONFERENCE, ONE MUST BE

A 2013 MEMBER of MIRCI: http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org

Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (MIRCI)

140 Holland St. West, PO Box 13022, Bradford, ON, L3Z 2Y5

(905) 775-9089

info@motherhoodinitiative.org http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

CFP: Seeking authors for chapters for "Mothering-Motherhood Across Differences in Maternal Subjectives/Experiences"

Demeter Press will be publishing an edited collection, A Reader, on Mothering-Motherhood Across Differences in Maternal Subjectives/Experiences. We have in place chapters on Latina Mothers, Aboriginal Mothers, Queer Mothers, Young Mothers and so forth. We are seeking chapters on the following mothers. Chapters will be approximately 25 pages in length and will explore theories on this particular group of mothers as well as the experiences of such mothers. The chapters will be due July 1, 2013. The  book will be published late 2013 or early 2014. If you are interested in writing a chapter on one of the following, please send a bio of your expertise on the topic by Jan 15, 2013 to Dr. Andrea O'Reilly, editor of the collection, aoreilly@yorku.ca. Information on Demeter Press available on our site www.demeterpress.org 

1) Older Mothers

2) Low Income/Poor Mothers

3) Single Mothers

4) Immigrant/Refuge/Migrant Mothers

5) Working Mothers

6) At-Home Mothers

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

CFP: Interdisciplinary conference on motherhood in London, UK

CALL FOR PAPERS (Deadline 1 December 2012) - PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY TO COLLEAGUES AND STUDENTS WORKING ON MOTHERHOOD IN

 ALL DISCIPLINES.

Motherhood in post-1968 European Women's Writing:

'Cross-cultural and Interdisciplinary Dialogues'

Thursday-Saturday 24-26 October 2013

Venue: Centre for the Study of Contemporary Women's Writing, Institute of Germanic & Romance Studies, University of London, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU, U.K.

This conference is the culmination of the AHRC-funded Motherhood in post-1968 European Literature Network, and follows five thematic workshops held between May 2012 and June 2013. The main aim of the Network is to raise the profile of contemporary literature as a field of study of motherhood in an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural forum, and to explore how insights from literary studies might contribute to studies of motherhood in other disciplines.

The conference aims to continue the cross-cultural and interdisciplinary dialogue of the workshops around representations and narratives of motherhood in women's writing from across Europe, and to open it up to a larger group of participants. It is expected that each panel will be interdisciplinary. Individual 20-minute papers, ready-made panels and round-table sessions may be proposed. An author-reading event will be held, and an exhibition will run alongside the conference.

Topic fields could include, but are not restricted to:

Changing Models of Motherhood; Motherhood and Death; Motherhood and Disability; Motherhood and the Economy; Motherhood and Europe; Motherhood and Exile; Motherhood and Fertility; Motherhood and the Law; Motherhood and Loss; Motherhood and the Media; Motherhood and Memory; Motherhood and Mental Health; Motherhood and Migration; Motherhood and Place; Motherhood and Religions; Motherhood and Sexuality; Motherhood and Technology; Motherhood and Violence; Motherhood and the Visual Arts; Motherhood and War; Motherhood and Work; Motherhood and Writing; Non-mothers; and Other-mothers

Round-table sessions may also be proposed on methodological issues relative to interdisciplinary dialogue, focusing on case studies relative to motherhood.

Proposals are welcomed from scholars of any European literatures and researchers of motherhood from any discipline (which could include anthropology, demography, education, history, law, media studies, philosophy, politics, psychoanalysis, psychology, social policy, sociology, visual arts, etc.). Proposals for contributions are also welcomed from practitioners (e.g. therapists, social and health workers), activists, community groups, policy-makers, charities, or reading groups.

There may a small amount of funding available to contribute to the attendance of scholars from European countries outside the UK. If you wish to be considered, please specify cheapest travel costs when submitting your proposal.

Please send your proposal for individual papers, panels, round-tables or other ideas for participation, in English, to Network Co-ordinator, Victoria Browne

(victoria.browne@sas.ac.uk) by the deadline of 1 December 2012. Please include a short bio-bibliography.

A publication drawn from the conference is planned.

For further information on the Network, http://www.igrs.sas.ac.uk/research-fellowships/ahrc-post-1968-motherhood-european-literature-network

Centre for the Study of Contemporary Women's Writing, http://www.igrs.sas.ac.uk/centre-study-contemporary-womens-writing

Institute of Germanic & Romance Studies, http://www.igrs.sas.ac.uk/

 

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

CFP: Communicating Motherhood/Mothers Conference (Canada)

CALL FOR PAPERS

COMMUNICATING MOTHERHOOD/MOTHERS COMMUNICATING

"HIGH CULTURE" TO POP CULTURE TO NEW SOCIAL MEDIA

May 9-11 2013, Toronto, Ontario Canada

We welcome submissions from scholars, students, activists, artists, community workers,bloggers, mothers and others who research in this area. Cross-cultural and comparative work is encouraged. We are open to a variety of types of submissions including academic papers from all disciplines and creative submissions including visual art, literature and performance art.

This conference will explore the nature, status, representation and experience of mothers and motherhood in various historical, cultural and literary contexts, and examine the many ways in which mothers have been and are affected by, viewed, and/or challenged contemporary cultural

norms and dominant ideologies and representations of their role.

Topics may include but are not restricted to:

Representations and depictions of mothers/mothering/motherhood in fiction, poetry, drama, art, music, film, advertising, TV, facebook, blogs, twitter; investigations into navigating cultural expressions of "good" and "bad" mother/ing; transmitting maternal knowledge(s), parenting skills, mothers/mothering and language, mothers and literacies, feminist motherlines; teaching/learning about mothering/motherhood through literature, popular culture, celebrity culture, new media; parenting/mothering in literature, art, popular culture, social media, the blogosphere; queer engagements with mothering/motherhood in literature, popular culture and social media; de/constructing embodied understandings of mothering, mother, motherhood; how communication technology permeates the work/home barrier, assists/ challenges relationships and attachment with adopted and biological children; the impact of literature/popular culture/social media on opinions regarding reproduction; mothers' relationship with "the experts"; expert discourses vs. grassroots communications; transmission of culture and ethnicity through various maternal modalities; mothering in the Information Age; communicating mothers/motherhood across the generations; crossing national borders and class divides through New Social Media; communication and other revolutions (or political organizing), new social media-linking or dividing moms?; low-income and young mothers' access to and use of New Social Media; cybermothering; mothers/motherhood and Communication Studies; mothers/mothering and education, learning and pedagogy.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: TBA

If you are interested in being considered as a presenter, please send a 250 word abstract and a 50-word bio by NOVEMBER 15, 2013 to info@motherhoodinitiative.org

** TO SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT FOR THIS CONFERENCE, ONE MUST BE

A 2013 MEMBER of MIRCI:

http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org/membership.html

Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (MIRCI) 140 Holland St. West,

PO Box 13022, Bradford, ON, L3Z 2Y5 (905) 775-9089 http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org

info@motherhoodinitiative.org

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

CFP: Mothering, Education, Maternal Pedagogies and Motherhood Studies

CALL FOR PAPERS

The editorial board is seeking submissions for Vol. 4.1 of the Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (JMI) to be published in spring/summer 2013.

Mothering, Education, Maternal Pedagogies and Motherhood Studies

The journal will explore the topic of Mothering, Education, Maternal Pedagogies and Motherhood Studies from a variety of perspectives and disciplines. We welcome submissions from scholars, students, activists, government agencies and workers, artists, mothers, and others who work or research in this area. Cross- cultural, historical and comparative work is encouraged. We also welcome creative reflections such as poetry, short stories, and artwork on the subject.

Topics can include (but are not limited to):

Normative & disruptive discourses about motherhood and education; pedagogical othermothering & midwifery; mothering in the academy; teaching & learning from mothers at the margins (mothers of color, teen mothers, First Nation/aboriginal/Native American mothers, low-income mothers; adoptive mothers, queer and transgendered mothers...); maternal pedagogies; empowered mothering & teaching; mothering, education, & disability; education & infertility; men, mothering, & education; mothering & homeschooling; mothering, education, & activism; education & the public/private split; mothers' historical experiences of education; teaching one's actual or surrogate children; navigating cultural expressions of "good" and "bad" mother/ing; second/third shift responsibilities & education; transmitting maternal knowledges; motherhood & online teaching; problematizing the motherly teacher; literary/artistic/pop cultural representations of motherhood & education; teaching and/or learning parenting skills; educating public policy makers about mothering/motherhood; challenges to patriarchal and/or imperialist educational ideologies and practices; motherhood, education,& health; feminist motherlines & education; teaching/learning about mothering/motherhood through new media ; Is a distinct scholarly discipline of Motherhood Studies needed or necessary? What are the benefits and risks of creating a distinct discipline? How do we determine what is Motherhood Studies and what is not? Is such determined by the content and or perspective of the scholarship? Are there methodologies and or pedagogies distinct to Motherhood Studies; what are they? What topics have been well-researched? What areas require further study and research? What are the strengths of Canadian Motherhood Studies? What is the hertory of Motherhood Studies in Canada? Have some regions and universities been more prominent (and why)? What is the relationship of Motherhood Studies to Women's Studies, Childhood Studies, and Feminist Studies? Is Motherhood Studies feminist in its perspective and content? Does it have to be? How does Motherhood Studies relate to the burgeoning studies of fatherhood/parenthood? How do we study motherhood without falling prey to the scholarly limitations of 'identity politics' and essentialism? How do we best develop and disseminate Canadian motherhood studies?

 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Articles should be 15-18 pages (3750 words) including references. All should be in MLA style, WordPerfect or Word and IBM compatible. Please see our style guide for complete details: http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org/journalsubmission.html

SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY NOVEMBER 1, 2012! 

** TO SUBMIT WORK ONE MUST BE A MEMBER OF MIRCI

http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org/membership.html

Please direct your submissions to:

Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (MIRCI) 140 Holland St. West, PO Box 13022 Bradford, ON, L3Z 2Y5 (905) 775-9089 http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org info@motherhoodinitiative.org

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

CFP: Indigenous Mothering

CALL FOR PAPERS Demeter Press is seeking submissions for an edited collection entitled Indigenous Mothering, Family and Community: International Perspectives Editors: Dr. D. Memee Lavell-Harvard and Dr. Kim Anderson DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS: January 7, 2013

The voices of Indigenous women worldwide have long been silenced by colonial oppression and institutions of patriarchal dominance. Recent generations of powerful Indigenous women have begun speaking out so that their positions of respect within their families and communities might be reclaimed. As part of this process of reinvigorating our spirits we are compiling a volume exploring the issues surrounding and impacting Indigenous mothering, family and community in a variety of contexts internationally. We welcome submissions from Indigenous mothers, scholars, students, activists, workers, artists, and any others interested in the experiences and knowledges of Indigenous mothering, families and communities in either historical or contemporary societies. Topics can include (but are not limited to): Explorations of the personal experience of becoming an Indigenous mother (including Grandmothers, Other mothers, LGBTQ or Two-spirited mothers, bi-racial or mixed race mothers, adoptive mothers, etc.); Indigenous mothering and the law-the impacts of legislation and the justice system on the experience of Indigenous mothers and families; conversations on varying aspects of identity, ethnicity, and race as they inform the experience of Indigenous mothers and families; the reconceptualization and/or performance of gender roles as they relate to traditional or contemporary Indigenous mothering practices and experiences; Indigenous mothering and the land, activism, politics, academics, religion or spirituality, mentoring, community mobilization, marginalization, poverty, crime and incarceration, teen mothering, addictions and rehabilitation, sex work; traditional mothering and parenting practices. We welcome perspectives from Indigenous peoples worldwide. Cross-cultural, historical and comparative work is encouraged.

Submission Guidelines: Abstracts: 300 words. Please include a 50-word biography (if Indigenous, include nation/affiliation) Deadline for Abstracts is January 7, 2013 Please send submissions and inquiries directly to: Dr. Dawn Harvard mharvard@sympatico.ca or Dr. Kim Anderson, kanderson@wlu.ca  Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

CFP: Intensive Mothering: The Cultural Contradictions Of Modern Motherhood

CALL FOR PAPERS Demeter Press is seeking submissions for an edited collection Intensive Mothering: The Cultural Contradictions Of Modern Motherhood Editor: Dr. Linda Ennis DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS: March 1, 2013!

To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Sharon Hays' landmark book, "The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood", this collection will revisit Hays' concept of "intensive mothering" as a continuing, yet controversial representation of modern motherhood. In Hays' original work, she spoke of "intensive mothering" as primarily being conducted by mothers, centered on children's needs with methods informed by experts, which are labour-intensive and costly simply because children are entitled to this maternal investment. While respecting the important need for connection between mother and baby that is prevalent in the teachings of Attachment Theory, this collection raises into question whether an over-investment of mothers in their children's lives is as effective a mode of parenting, as being conveyed by representations of modern motherhood. In a world where independence is encouraged, why are we still engaging in "intensive motherhood"? Topics can also include (but are not limited to): Reconciling early childhood theory with intensive mothering; the impact of Sharon Hays work; comparing intensive motherhood today with that of the 90s; motives behind intensive mothering; independence and dependency; working/stay-at-home mothers and intensive motherhood; empty nest and intensive mothering; the mommy track and intensive mothering; intensive mothering throughout the life-span; fathers and intensive mothering; economics of intensive motherhood; self-centeredness, perfectionism and intensive motherhood; ambivalence, guilt and intensive mothering; career success and intensive mothering; education and intensive mothering; the role of the school in condoning intensive motherhood; the decline of the family unit and intensive mothering; the use of technology to maintain intensive mothering; single mothers and intensive mothering; immigrant mothers and intensive mothering; grandmothers and intensive mothering; intensive mothering from a distance; intensive mothering and medical well-being; depression and intensive mothering; stories about intensive mothering experiences; intensive motherhood, as portrayed in literature.

Submission Guidelines Abstracts: 250 words. Please include a 50-word biography Deadline for abstracts is March 1, 2013 Please send submissions and inquiries directly to: Dr. Linda Ennis lrennis@rogers.com Completed manuscripts not exceeding 20 pages will be due September 2014, and should conform to MLA guidelines. Acceptance is contingent and will depend upon the strength and fit of the final piece. Demeter Press 140 Holland St. West, PO 13022 Bradford, ON L3Z 2Y5 Tel: (905) 775-9089 www.demeterpress.org / info@demeterpress.org Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

CFP: Cinema and the Mother: Motherhood in Contemporary World Cinemas

CALL FOR PAPERS Demeter Press is seeking submissions for an edited collection Cinema and the Mother: Motherhood in Contemporary World Cinemas    Editor: Dr. Asma Sayed   DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS: October 31, 2012!

Mother figure plays an essential role in cinema. Films have, by and large, presented a stereotypical role of a mother wherein she is hailed for her sacrifices and hated for having any personal desires. Representation of motherhood in world cinemas has either been framed within patriarchal norms or within nationalist discourses in which mother figure symbolizes the nation. Patriarchy glorifies motherhood, and cinema as an institution reflecting socio-cultural reality has tended to idealize motherhood; depending on the ethno-cultural paradigms, mother figure is presented either as angelic or demonic, thus prescribing a normative image. While cinema can and does impact the perceptions of its audiences, and thus has the power to make or break stereotypes, rarely have films experimented with the notion of motherhood; the resistant mother, although not unheard of, is a rare character. This collection will provide an analysis of how motherhood has been represented in various filmic traditions. Papers dealing with any cultural tradition are welcome; however, preference may be given to non-Hollywood traditions. Understanding of motherhood both as an individual performance and as an institution has mostly been a post-1980s phenomenon; as such, the collection will focus on contemporary cinema. Topics can also include (but are not limited to): Close textual analysis of a film/films; analysis of depiction of motherhood in a particular filmic tradition - for example, Korean, Iranian, Indian, Greek, British, Canadian, Japanese, Chinese, Brazilian etc.; issues such as mise en scène, genre, cinematography, editing, etc. in light of portrayal of motherhood; angelic mothers, demonic mothers, sacrificial mothers, selfish mothers, resisting mothers, ideal mothers, etc.; cinema as mother; mother as cinema; and nation as mother, mother as nation - in cinema

Submission Guidelines: Abstracts: 300 words. Please include a 50-word biography  (with citizenship information) Deadline for abstracts is October 31, 2012 Please send submissions and inquiries directly to:  Dr. Asma Sayed asayed@ualberta.ca Completed manuscripts not exceeding 20 pages will be due May 2013,  and should conform to MLA guidelines. Acceptance is contingent and will depend upon the strength and fit of the final piece.  Demeter Press 140 Holland St. West, PO 13022 Bradford, ON L3Z 2Y5 Tel: (905) 775-9089 www.demeterpress.org / info@demeterpress.org

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

CFP: Mothers and Motherhood in the Spanish-Speaking World

CALL FOR PAPERS Demeter Press is seeking submissions for an edited collection Mothers and Motherhood in the Spanish-Speaking World Editors: Marina Bettaglio and Cándida Elizabeth Vivero Marín bettagli@uvic.ca and elizabeth_vivero@hotmail.com   Publication Date: 2015

Traditional representations of motherhood in Spanish-speaking countries have favoured the image of the selfless, abnegated mother, totally devoted to her children. As a woman whose entire life was at the service of others, she was supposed to find fulfillment in caring for and supporting her family.   Modelled after the Virgin Mary, this idealized maternal role dominated, with regional differences, the Spanish and Latin American imaginary for centuries. Marianismo, the cultural expression of this ideological position, demonstrates the pervasiveness of the Marian cult in Latin America, where the dichotomy Virgin/Whore described by Octavio Paz has played a key role in imposing normative maternal values. Nonetheless, during the last two decades new maternal configurations have emerged in literature, comics, cinema, music, and art. This collection seeks to examine counter-hegemonic discourses that stand in stark or seeming opposition to traditional representations. The editors seek article-length contributions from scholars from a variety of disciplines, including literature, cinema, music and popular culture in general. Articles may examine (but are not limited to) the following topics: Non-traditional mothers, step-mothers, lesbian mothers, immigrant mothers, minority mothers, professional mothers, writing mothers, artist mothers, new stay-at-home mothers, supermommies, sexually desiring mothers, celebrity mothers, yummy mommies/mummies, deviant mothers, perverse mothers, criminal mothers, drug-addicted mothers, or incarcerated mothers.

Submission Guidelines: Please submit abstracts of 250 words and include your 50 word bio and citizenship Deadline for Abstracts is February 1, 2013 Please send submissions and inquiries directly to:   Marina Bettaglio and Cándida Elizabeth Vivero Marín bettagli@uvic.ca and elizabeth_vivero@hotmail.com Demeter Press 140 Holland St. West, PO 13022 Bradford, ON L3Z 2Y5 Tel: (905) 775-9089 www.demeterpress.org / info@demeterpress.org Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

MIRCI CFP: Adrienne Rich Symposium, Oct. 20, Toronto

CALL FOR PAPERS Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement  (MIRCI) ONE-DAY SYMPOSIUM ON ADRIENNE RICH October 20, 2012, Toronto, Ontario, Canada In celebration of the life and work of Adrienne Rich (1929-2012)

Poet, Essayist, Radical Feminist, Anti- War Activist, Mothering Theorist, and Author of Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Institution and Experience. We welcome submissions from scholars, students, activists, workers, artists, and others inspired by the work of Adrienne Rich. Cross-cultural, historical and comparative work is encouraged. We are open to a variety of types of submissions, such as: academic papers from all disciplines; presentations by community activists and social service providers; creative submissions - performances, films, storytelling, visual arts; and workshops.   Please send a 250-word abstract and 50-word bio to aoreilly@yorku.ca by July 1, 2012. One must be a 2012 member of MIRCI to present at this symposium.

Demeter Press 140 Holland St. West, PO 13022 Bradford, ON L3Z 2Y5 Tel: (905) 775-9089 www.demeterpress.org / info@demeterpress.org

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

CFP: Mothering, Education, Maternal Pedagogies and Motherhood Studies

Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement

CALL FOR PAPERS The editorial board is seeking submissions for Vol. 4.1 of the Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (JMI) to be published in spring/summer 2013. Mothering, Education, Maternal Pedagogies and Motherhood Studies The journal will explore the topic of Mothering, Education, Maternal Pedagogies and Motherhood Studies from a variety of perspectives and disciplines. We welcome submissions from scholars, students, activists, government agencies and workers, artists, mothers, and others who work or research in this area. Cross- cultural, historical and comparative work is encouraged. We also welcome creative reflections such as poetry, short stories, and artwork on the subject. Topics can include (but are not limited to): Normative & disruptive discourses about motherhood and education; pedagogical othermothering & midwifery; mothering in the academy; teaching & learning from mothers at the margins (mothers of color, teen mothers, First Nation/aboriginal/Native American mothers, low-income mothers; adoptive mothers, queer and transgendered mothers...); maternal pedagogies; empowered mothering & teaching; mothering, education, & disability; education & infertility; men, mothering, & education; mothering & homeschooling; mothering, education, & activism; education & the public/private split; mothers' historical experiences of education; teaching one's actual or surrogate children; navigating cultural expressions of "good" and "bad" mother/ing; second/third shift responsibilities & education; transmitting maternal knowledges; motherhood & online teaching; problematizing the motherly teacher; literary/artistic/pop cultural representations of motherhood & education; teaching and/or learning parenting skills; educating public policy makers about mothering/motherhood; challenges to patriarchal and/or imperialist educational ideologies and practices; motherhood, education,& health; feminist motherlines & education; teaching/learning about mothering/motherhood through new media ; Is a distinct scholarly discipline of Motherhood Studies needed or necessary? What are the benefits and risks of creating a distinct discipline? How do we determine what is Motherhood Studies and what is not? Is such determined by the content and or perspective of the scholarship? Are there methodologies and or pedagogies distinct to Motherhood Studies; what are they? What topics have been well-researched? What areas require further study and research? What are the strengths of Canadian Motherhood Studies? What is the hertory of Motherhood Studies in Canada? Have some regions and universities been more prominent (and why)? What is the relationship of Motherhood Studies to Women's Studies, Childhood Studies, and Feminist Studies? Is Motherhood Studies feminist in its perspective and content? Does it have to be? How does Motherhood Studies relate to the burgeoning studies of fatherhood/parenthood? How do we study motherhood without falling prey to the scholarly limitations of 'identity politics' and essentialism? How do we best develop and disseminate Canadian motherhood studies? SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Articles should be 15-18 pages (3750 words) including references. All should be in MLA style, WordPerfect or Word and IBM compatible. Please see our style guide for complete details: http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org/journalsubmission.html SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY NOVEMBER 1, 2012! ** TO SUBMIT WORK ONE MUST BE A MEMBER OF MIRCI http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org/membership.html Please direct your submissions to: Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (MIRCI) 140 Holland St. West, PO Box 13022 Bradford, ON, L3Z 2Y5 (905) 775-9089 http://www.motherhoodinitiative.org info@motherhoodinitiative.org

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.

CFP: Performing Motherhood

CALL FOR PAPERS Demeter Press is seeking submissions for an edited collection Performing Motherhood Co-editors: Amber Kinser, Kryn Freehling-Burton and Terri Hawkes Submission Deadline For Abstracts: June 15, 2012

Scholarly and lay observers alike have long recognized the relationship between everyday life and performance. Some hold to a sharp split between that which is authentic, true, or real, on one hand, and that which is contrivance, façade, or "mere" performance on the other. Others indicate that any lines separating "performance" from "life" are indistinguishable or not useful, that all of life is performance, that human interaction of any sort is a text to be read in a variety of ways, that social meaning and identity are in fact performatively constituted. Judith Butler and others have directed attention to performativity and the way it can contest and disrupt accepted meanings, truths, and values. In the performing arts, artists have questioned, theorized, embodied, represented, and troubled social meanings and subjectivities, and have deployed performance in the service of resistance and change. Performance ethnographers and biographical/autobiographical researcher-performers have explored performance dimensions of identity, culture, ritual, and ceremony, as well as the ways in which research findings can be represented through performance, taking research beyond traditional scholarly venues to reach lay audiences and shed prismatic light for academic audiences. Performing Motherhood places these ideas center stage in maternal studies.  In exploring the relationship between performance and the maternal, contributions to this anthology will pay particular attention to how mothers effectively exercise agency in personal and/or familial identity, and/or to how particular performances can affirm or activate maternal choices, grounded as they are in given social locations. We seek the following in particular: 1) essays that are empirically and theoretically grounded that explore/complicate everyday life performances of the maternal; 2) creative performance texts that explore maternal agency; and 3) theoretical or research-based examinations of broad scale maternal performance, from community or global activism to the 'performing arts'. Questions to consider include but are not limited to: How do women and families enact/perform mothering in ways inconsistent with widely accepted norms (whether general social norms or assumed "feminist" or "progressive" norms) and how do they make that work for them, personally and socially? How is maternal identity performatively constituted for the multiplicity of ways that people mother beyond biological ties? What are some of the micropractices/performances that mothers engage in, or orchestrate in their families, that allow them to live self-determined lives? How does mundane practice/performance complicate and shape individual, familial, and social meaning. In what ways do particular ritual or theatrical or activist performances suggest or embody affirmations of motherwork, maternal agency, or marginalized maternal voices, and what might these performances teach broader audiences? How do performing arts practitioners who are also mothers negotiate multiple identities?

Submission Guidelines  Abstracts should be about 300 words, and should identify the theoretical grounding for the essay or piece. Please also include a brief biography (50 words) and identify citizenship.  Complete manuscripts not exceeding 15 pages (3750 words) will be due March 1st, 2013 and should be formatted according to MLA guidelines. Editor responses will go out early summer of 2013 with final revisions due early fall. The book is to have 50 percent Canadian content, so Canadian  contributors are especially encouraged to submit. Send abstracts to: kinsera@etsu.edu Acceptance is contingent and will depend upon strength and fit of the final essay or piece. Demeter Press 140 Holland St. West, PO 13022 Bradford, ON L3Z 2Y5 Tel: (905) 775-9089 www.demeterpress.org / info@demeterpress.org

Disclosure: I am getting a complementary membership to MIRCI and subscription to the journal in return for posting these updates. It is, however, something I would have agreed to do for free because I think their work is so wonderful.