Australian Anthropological Society 2015 Conference The University of Melbourne, 1-4 December, 2015

Here is just one of the calls for paper for the 2015 conference. Please go to the AAS website for details of other panels calling for papers.
Call for papers for the panel

“The private/public politics of intimacy”

Australian Anthropological Society 2015 Conference
The University of Melbourne, 1-4 December, 2015

Convenors: Hannah Bulloch (Australian National University) and Lara McKenzie (The University of Western Australia)

The term ‘intimacy’ evokes a sense of private, personal relations. It is sometimes construed as conceptually distinct from supposedly public realms of economics, work, policy and politics; or intimacy is depicted as corrupting or being corrupted by these. Yet, as the feminist slogan articulates, ‘the personal is political’. Intimate relations are enabled and constrained by broader power structures but so too these are reworked through intimate relations. Norms of intimacy constitute fundamental aspects of these supposedly public realms. For example, through relations of reciprocity intimacy is fundamental to economy. Meanwhile, through spreading consumer culture and mass media, ideals of love, romance and companionship are transforming intimacy the world over.

Focusing on various sites of intimacy—families, friendships, romantic or sexual relationships—we invite papers that consider articulations between ‘private’ and ‘public’ aspects of intimacy. The panel considers issues such as:

  • How might we define intimacy in the context of anthropological research? What does the examination of social relations through the lens of intimacy bring to the discipline?
  • How are the public/private boundaries of intimate relationships formulated and challenged in different contexts? How does interrogating the multiple meanings of ‘private’ and ‘public’ further the study of intimacy?
  • How are changing economic norms, new communication technologies and/or transnational media reshaping, and being shaped by, intimate relations?
  • What do the contradictions and complexities in the way intimacy is experienced and understood tell us about broader social change and continuity?
  • Can public policy be improved by a more intimate understanding of intimacy?

To propose a paper go to: http://www.nomadit.co.uk/aas/aas2015/panels.php5?PanelID=3669

Paper proposals must consist of:

  • a paper title
  • the name/s and email address/es of author/s
  • a short abstract of fewer than 300 characters
  • a long abstract of fewer than 250 words

All proposals must be made via the online form. The call for papers is now open and closes at midnight GMT on June 22nd, 2015.

If you have any questions about the panel, please email Lara ([email protected]) and Hannah ([email protected]).

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