Duke University Department of Romance Studies
Annual Graduate Student Conference
CONSTRUCTING IMAGES OF THE SELF
Call for Papers
February 20-22, 2004
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
Guest Speaker: Hubert Laszkiewicz, Professor of History, Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski, Poland
http://www.romancestudies.aas.duke.edu/events.html
The aim of this conference is to explore the notion of the self as an underlying construct of individual self-perception and communal history, as it is reflected in art, philosophy, ethics and politics among other possible areas of human behavior. Our hope is to bring together students of different interests, cultures and opinions in an attempt to bridge the gap that exists among defined, and thus limiting, disciplines of knowledge. Our main interest is in the process of constructing the self, specifically in how and why different types of imagery are involved. Papers from all intellectual and theoretical approaches are welcomed, with the priority given to those in comparative and interdisciplinary areas of study.
Possible topics include but are not limited to:
· Creating national identity
· National vs. Individual self-perception
· Violence and Communal Suffering
· Memory and Memory Creation
· Trauma, Madness and Hysteria
· Historiography and Fiction
· Representation of the self (text, film, theatre, painting, etc.)
· Imagery: visual sign vs. written language
· Imaginary vs. Reality
· Visual vs. Aural
· Representation of Physical Senses in the poetic/narrative discourse
· The Role of the Mass Culture
· Autobiography
· Egotism
· Gender identities; feminism, queer studies
· Marginality
· Competing claims to authority; The Double and the Self
· Subconscious in the image of the Self
· The Corporeal vs. the Spiritual
Presentations will be limited to 20 minutes. The working language of the conference will be English, but papers in French and Spanish are also welcomed. Submissions are accepted in any of these languages, and should include an abstract of no more than 300 words, and a cover letter listing paper title, applicants name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and institutional affiliation. Please, make your abstract anonymous.
Address all submissions via post or e-mail, by January 5, 2004 to:
DukeUniversity
Anna Navrotskaya: aen4@duke.edu
Department of Romance Studies
Rebecca Ingram: rei@duke.edu
Attn: Anna Navrotskaya / Rebecca Ingram
205 Languages
Box 90257
Durham, NC 27708-0257
Please, address further questions and inquires to:
Anna Navrotskaya: aen4@duke.edu