South Central MLA invites Regular Session proposals for the Austin 2002 conference, October 31-November 2, 2002 at the Omni Austin Downtwon Hotel. I have decided to organize such a session that I would like to name Children's Literature in Global Contexts so as to reflect the conference theme "Literature and Language in Global contexts." This session may address the following issues (although your proposal may not be restricted to these issues and thus can be broadened to other topics in the discipline) in the light of children's literature and dramatic literature for children.
"What are the implications of globalization for research and teaching in the field of children's literature/drama? How do global contexts affect traditional disciplinary boundaries and definitions of this literary field? And what new areas of inquiry are likely to emerge? How might globalization transform the ways in which we understand and teach canonical texts, as well as audiences? What new texts and traditions are likely to emerge as crucial in the years ahead? What role will/can/must English and modern languages departments play in the new global culture and economy?"
Papers should be read in English