CFP: The Social Responsibility of Intellectuals: Limitations and Possibilities

Stony Brook University Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature Graduate Conference

in partnership with Minorities and Philosophy (MAP) at The New School for Social Research

March 3, 2018 @ The New School, NYC

In response to the untimely suspension of all Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature programs at Stony Brook University, our final graduate conference will be an interdisciplinary event wherein we hope to confront the limitations of our position as academics and conceive possibilities for moving beyond those limitations.
   Many academics work on issues of social justice, and in this politically tumultuous moment, we want to ask: What is our social responsibility as academics? What does it mean to assume this responsibility? Have our methods been failing? Can we envision or enact other methods of social change? What social obligation does the privilege of our creativity, intellectualism, and insight require of us? The three main models of social change for humanities academics have generally been: publishing, teaching, and protest. While these modes yield diverse and important results, our political reality suggests that they are not enough. With this conference, we aim to examine what makes them more or less effective –inherently, historically, or in the contemporary moment. We also seek thinkers, scholars, and artists who are attempting to think beyond these methods.
   Humanities scholarship itself tends to entail critique, which can make our work seem divisive rather than reparative. How might this relate to the apparent contempt toward us and our work from many outside the academy, from those in administration, from some of those outside our disciplines, or even amongst colleagues? How does this relate to our roles in facilitating social justice?

Submissions might address the following topics (other topics welcome):

§  social role of education/ academia/ academics

§  critical university studies/ neoliberal college/ financialization of education

§  education in economic/ political/ environmental crises

§  pedagogy

§  history/ present state of humanities/ arts/ social science education

§  activism/ movement building/ organizing/ community/ social change

§  writing/ publishing/ audience/ accessibility

§  relation of theory to praxis/ restorative practices

§visions for new education systems, pedagogical techniques, political engagement

§  rethinking the goal(s) of (higher) education and educators

We welcome submissions from any discipline, particularly the humanities, arts, and social sciences, but we are also interested in perspectives from natural sciences, and applied/ occupational fields. The conference will include presentations of creative writing, music, and/or performance art, to punctuate the talks/ panels.

Guidelines:

To propose a 20-minute presentation or full panel, please submit an abstract of no more than 250 words as a Word document to [email protected]. Include your name, contact information, and university affiliation in your email and your abstract heading.

Deadline for Submission: January 25, 2018

Invitations to participate will be issued by January 25, 2018. Participants will be offered complimentary accommodations subject to availability. More information at socialresponsibilityconference2018.weebly.com.