Food Networks: Gender and Foodways is an interdisciplinary conference to be held at the University of Notre Dame. It has been organized by the Gender Studies Program and will run from January 26 through 29, 2012.
This conference seeks to address gender issues as they relate to food. We welcome papers from all disciplines, e.g. anthropology, literary studies, film studies, sociology, theology, cultural studies, visual culture, gender studies, food studies, American studies, ethnic studies, history, agriculture, and more. We seek a wide range of papers dealing with food in all its variety and complexity as it relates to gender, sex, and sexuality. Possible topics and areas of interest include:
- Gender and food figures: the gourmet chef, the housewife, the family, the writer, the food critic, Julia Child, Martha Stewart, Michael Pollan, Mark Bitman, Rachel Ray, Iron Chefs, Top Chef, etc.
- Gendered food spaces: the kitchen, the grocery store, the dining room, the farmers market, the café, the restaurant, etc.
- Gendered representations of food: in literature, in film, in television, in magazines, in ephemera, in metaphor, etc.
- Food and gender/sex identities: queer food, feminist food, masculine food, food and family, food and singles culture, race and gender, national and transnational cultures, ethnic cultures, etc.
- Gender and: eating, diets, starvation, foodies, localism, sustainability, cookbooks, fat, sexuality, gastro-porn, disgust, shame, pleasure, sensuality, food communities, slow food, raw food, cleansing, Weight Watchers, Whole Foods, fast food, calorie counting, lunch boxes, bento boxes, vegetarianism, veganism, hunger, nostalgia, and more.
If you are interested in submitting a proposal for the conference, they should consist of a 200-word abstract of the paper, a list of three keywords, and a brief biographical statement listing your title, the name of your college or university, and your areas of research and writing. Please also indicate technology needs, such as powerpoint or DVD. Proposals are due by June 30, 2011. Preconstituted panels will not be considered.
Submit proposals electronically here. Any questions can be addressed via email to Pamela Wojcik at Pamela.Wojcik.5@nd.edu with subject header “Food Networks.”
For continuously updated information, visit the Gender Studies Program conference event page