U.S. feminists in the 1990s understand the contemporary projects of feminism as part of a process that has its roots in the suffrage movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries and in the "women's movement" of the 1960s and 1970s. Now, as people come of age who can take women's rights for granted, at least two "generations" of active feminists currently co-exist -- demonstrating the basic success of the contemporary movement. Yet, at the same time, we also find ourselves facing generational and cultural gaps which we believe represent both challenges to and opportunites for our continued success and growth. Through this conference, we hope to begin to understand more clearly the perspectives of the multiple feminist generations, and to forge and reinforce relationships among ourselves as we share three days of events representing the diversity and richness of many different "feminist generations."
Featured speakers will be Faith Ringgold, an artist best known for her "story quilts" and children's books celebrating African-American culture and history; and her daughter Michele Wallace, a well-known feminist critic, scholar and novelist. Ringgold's work will be on exhibit in the Fine Arts Center Gallery on the BGSU campus during the conference.
We invite presentations (papers, performances, media productions, creative works and panels) addressing the many possible meanings of "generations" in feminist scholarship and activism:
* interrogating the meanings of the terms and the experiences of "first," "second," and "third"-wave feminisms/feminists
* exploring and contrasting the evolutions and experiences of international feminisms
* interpreting the bodies of feminist politics, arts, expressions and works through the "feminist generations" of the past and present
* exploring the challenges posed by a culture increasingly defined as "post-feminist"
We welcome submissions by pre-college-age scholars, undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members, independent researchers, performers, activists, artists, and members of all feminist generations.
Child care and educational programs for older children will be available.
Please send a 250-word abstract, proposal or project description (with slides, video or audio excepts, if appropriate). Performers should submit an abstract along with a list of space and supporting prop requirements.
Deadline for proposals: 2 October 1995
Send proposals to:
Feminist Generations
Women's Studies Program
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH 43403
(419) 372-7133
femgen@bgnet.bgsu.edu
Bowling Green is 20 miles south of Toledo, 65 miles southeast of Ann Arbor, and approx. 100 miles from both Detroit and Cleveland. It is a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Chicago.