Beijing Julio 17 19 Beijing Gender and Social Transformation

Gender and Social Transformation: Global, Transnational and Local Realities and Perspectives, July 17-19, 2009 in Beijing, China
Key Conference Organizers:*

Dr. Esther Ngan-ling Chow Professor, American University, USA.
* Dr. Tan Lin, Director, Womens Studies Institute of China, All-China Women's Federation in P.R. China.

The goal of the conference is to provide an international forum in which to examine how women and gender relations are shaped by societal transformation economically, politically, socially and culturally in the global, transnational and local contexts and processes. The conference explores how dynamics process of globalization and transnationalism has impacted on women's lives, as it has challenged even altered gender relations on the ground. Using a kaleiscopic gender lens, the meeting will examine how women and men in different locations around the world experience societal transformation and how they respond to and challenge transnational and global processes of changes.
Intersectionality of race, ethnicity, class, gender, nationality and other dimensions will be emphasized in the conference program.

We will address the cutting-edge issues, pressing social problems and emergent phenomena that are critical to interrogate the existing theoretical paradigms to study globalization, transnationalism and the local from critical gender perspectives. In addition, we promote the development of theory, method, and practice by emphasizing how theory and research on women and gender can inform public debates, policy, and praxis, contribute to empirically grounded research, advance feminist scholarship, inspire collective action by empowering women as well as men, locally, transnationally and globally. To do so, the conference offers a medium through which scholars, researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, civil society actors and grassroots activists can engage in meaningful dialogue for positive social change in various contexts.

Major Topics of Interest:
* Theorizing globalization and transnationalism and feminist critiques
* Work, economic transformation and global economy
* Gender Mainstreaming, development and policy
* Migration, citizenship, and politics of difference/recognition
* Political participation, civil society/engagement and gender justice
* Identity, media and cultural changes
* Education, health, environment and family transition
* Women's agency, activism, and social movements

Key speakers will include Judith Lorber, Myra Marx Ferree, Michael Kimmel, Peggy Levitt, Rhacel Parrenas, Christine E. Bose and other speakers from China and other countries. Two plenary sessions will feature gender issues in globalization and transnationalism and frontiers of feminist scholarship and methodology. Other papers sessions, panel discussion and one workshop on comparative and collaborative research will be organized.

The conference is primarily funded by the All-China Women's Federation and other support from the American University. The conference outcomes will be conference Proceedings and two books‹a Chinese one to be published in China and an English one to be published in the USA.

If you are interested in this conference, submit your proposed paper abstract (250-500 words) by February 15, 2009. English paper abstract will be submitted to Esther N. Chow(echow@american.edu) and Chinese paper abstract to Wu Jing (wujing@wsic.ac.cn). Notification of paper acceptance will be around mid-March, 2009.