The Meaning of Misogyny

The Meaning of Misogyny Conference is taking place from the 30th of June to the 1st of July 2026 at the University of Manchester.

This two-day, hybrid conference aims to look at the work that specifically focuses on the meaning of misogynistic and/or gendered language. The topics will relate, but are not limited to, the following questions:

• What unique linguistic phenomena should be classed as misogyny, e.g. gendered slurs?
• Does misogynistic language differ semantically from, e.g., racist language?
• Does misogynistic language always carry a negative expressive/emotive component?
• How far can semantics go in explaining misogyny?

I am excited to confirm that Professor Robin Jeshion will be our keynote speaker for the event. Her work on slurs, dehumanisation & contempt, reclamation, and expressivism has been highly influential in Philosophy of Language, and we are very much looking forward to having her in Manchester.

Confirmed speakers:

Justina Berškytė (University of Manchester): Hostile and Benevolent Misogyny: On the Expressive Power of Patriarchal Speech

Chris Cousens (University of Manchester): Bullshit Slurs, Gendered Slurs, and Patriarchy [invited]

Filipa Melo Lopes (University of Edinburgh): Misogynistic Dehumanization: Women as Witches [invited]

We are looking for 4/5 more speakers to join us.

Please email your abstract and title to [email protected]. Abstracts should be no longer than 500 words (excluding bibliography), and the paper should be tailored to a 30-40 minute presentation followed by a 10-20 minute Q&A.

The deadline is the 15th of March 2026, at midnight (relative to your local time zone). Outcomes will be communicated by the end of March. Thanks to the University of Manchester, Philosophy Department, there will be a small bursary (up to £150) available for travel and accommodation to successful applicants. The organising committee will be in touch after the selection of abstracts regarding the details.

This conference is part of Justina's Early Career Fellowship project titled The Language of Misogyny: Meaning, Function and Possible Interventions, funded by the Leverhulme Trust and the University of Manchester.

Organising Committee:

Justina Berškytė, [email protected]

Adelina Valoschi, [email protected]