KPICGS 2014 - KANITA Postgraduate International Conference on Gender Studies (KPICGS) 2014

Marginality, Inclusiveness and Social Justice: Contemporary Challenges in Researching Women, Men and Gender
Dates: 13th-14th August 2014 (Wednesday and Thursday)
Venue: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang, Malaysia
The Women’s Development Research Centre (KANITA), Universiti Sains Malaysia has more than 30 years of accumulated expertise in the field of women’s and gender studies. Women’s and gender studies encourage students to understand the social relations between women and men, their structural positions in society, and how these shape issues of power and control. The gendered dimension of analysis has historically been lacking and it is important therefore to emphasise it in order to achieve a more complete understanding of social processes and systems. A gendered analysis of society is an important basis for recognising the social injustice in gender inequality and for taking steps towards change. The KANITA Postgraduate International Conference on Gender Studies (KPICGS) aims to bring together students and young scholars all over the world to share insights and experiences in researching women and gender issues. Following on the success of the inaugural KPICGS in 2012, KANITA USM will be organising the second conference in this series in 2014 on the theme of ‘Marginality, Inclusiveness and Social Justice’.
The 2014 conference will focus on the challenges in researching women and gender issues in contemporary times. The context of our discussion is the current globalising trends that have led to widening social and economic disparities, and increasing human insecurity, uncertainty and risk. Not only has the gap between richer and poorer countries been difficult to bridge, the societies in many countries grow increasingly polarised. While some layers of society have benefitted from the rapid changes, others have been left behind and marginalised, i.e. systematically excluded from accessing the rights, opportunities and resources in society.
Research in women and gender studies have long pointed to women’s marginalisation in society, calling at the international policy level for a mainstreaming of women and gender concerns in policy processes. At the national level, such calls have met with varying degrees of responsiveness and success, a major critique being that women have been the objects, and not subjects, of mainstream economic development. We are beginning to understand that these policy measures do not necessarily solve the problems of marginality and social exclusion.
Marginality and social exclusion have to be understood in the context of social justice. While the process of marginalisation is fundamentally located in the economic system, the experiences of marginality go beyond the economic and material aspects of human life, and encompass issues that are related to identity, dignity, and inclusion/exclusion, which are embedded in concepts of social justice. This eventually leads to social rupture for communities and individuals who do not participate fully in the economic, social and political life of the society in which they live.
Inclusiveness is one of the key concepts toward creating strategies and ways toward overcoming marginality and social exclusion. It involves the awareness of the debilitating effects of exclusionary processes, and putting in motion processes to improve the ability, opportunity and dignity of marginalised individuals and communities so that they are able to fully take part in society.
While recognising the important dimension of gender, nonetheless, an effective and coherent understanding of such societal processes will have to take into account other analytical dimensions such as social class, ethnicity, race, sexual identity and religion. We therefore look forward to studies that interrogate and examine issues of marginality, inclusiveness and social justice in relation to gender, and how gender intersects with the other analytical dimensions.
KPICGS Organising Committee cordially invites submission of abstracts and subsequently, full papers, from students and young scholars.
Papers may be prepared to fit into the following sub-themes:
Culture, religion and gender
Entrepreneurship, micro-enterprise and empowerment
Gender in culture, communication, language and the arts
Globalisation, transnationalism and migration
Healthcare, social entitlements and social justice
Law, policy and gender
Patriarchy, the family and feminist discourses
Sexuality, masculinity and identity politics
Sustainable development and environmental issues
Violence against women
Women, leadership and the political process
Target participants:
KPICGS aims to open conversations amongst young and/ or new scholars on different aspects of their research and academic experiences.
All postgraduate students are welcome to submit abstracts to the KPICGS.
Young scholars who are not currently registered as students with any institutions are also welcome to submit abstracts to the conference. They must have obtained their Master's or PhD degrees within 2 years prior to the date of the conference.
The first author of a paper submitted must be the student or young scholar and the paper must be prepared and based on work done substantially by the student or young scholar.
Interested individuals who do not submit papers may also attend as participants.
Abstracts:
Format: Microsoft Word
Font: Times New Roman 12, single spacing Length: 450 words
Deadline: 31st March 2014
Information to be included in an abstract:
Paper title
Contents: Objectives, methodology, findings/ analysis, conclusion
Keywords
Sub-theme proposed for the paper
Information to be submitted when submitting abstract
Name of author/s
Current affiliation and designation
Contact details of corresponding author (email, address, telephone number)
100-word biography (each presenter)
Notification of acceptance of abstract will be made by 30th April 2014 (only authors of accepted abstract will be notified). Full papers for accepted abstracts are due on 31st July 2014.
Please submit abstracts to us via email at kanita.kpicgs-AT-gmail.com or by post to the following address:
The Chairperson of the Scientific Committee
KANITA Postgraduate International Conference on Gender Studies (KPICGS), 2014
Women’s Development Research Centre (KANITA)
Universiti Sains Malaysia
11800 USM
Penang, Malaysia
Registration:
To register, please download and fill in the Registration Form
Registration fee:
RM100 (Participants affiliated with local institutions), USD50 Nett* (Other participants)
Early bird (before 31st May 2014): RM80 (Participants affiliated with local institutions), USD40 Nett* (Other participants)
Fees will cover all meals and materials during the Conference. Fees are applicable for ALL participants (regardless of submission of papers).
*All bank and incidental charges are to be borne by the participants.
Please send Money Order/Bank Draft or Bank Transfer in the name of:
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Account Number: 0702-0001054-71-6
If you are transferring the payment, please send it to:
Account Number: 0702-0001054-71-6
Beneficiary's name: Universiti Sains Malaysia
Bank's name: Bank Muamalat
Bank's Address: Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd, USM Service Centre, Minden, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Swift Code: BMMBMYKL
Accommodation:
Participants are responsible for their own accommodation and travel arrangements. Please book your accommodation directly with the hotel.
University hostel accommodation with competitive rates, is available on a first-come, first-served basis. You may contact the University Housing Unit (UPPU) directly for reservation or enquiries, at:
uppu-AT-usm.my
Address and contact number of UPPU:
Office, University Housing Unit (UPPU)
Level 1, Building H23,
Kompleks Cahaya Siswa, 11800 USM.
No. Tel: +604-653 4459
Fax: +604-657 8962
Contact details:
If you require further information, please contact the conference secretariat at:
kanita.kpicgs-AT-gmail.com
Address and contact number of KANITA:
Women’s Development Research Centre (KANITA)
Universiti Sains Malaysia
11800 USM
Penang, Malaysia
Website: http://kanita.usm.my
Email: kanita-AT-usm.my
Tel: +604 6533436 or +604 6533433
Fax: +604 6566379