Cfp: "Gendered Ways of Knowing? Gender, Natural Sciences and Humanities," Trento, Italy, December 1–4, 2010.

The aim of this congress is to push the question about the epistemological function of the category “gender” further, in particular from the perspective of multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary research. Since the rupture epistemologique of the late 18th century science has fabricated tools for sexualizing the objects of the world, while modern anthropology and biology have contributed to the universalization of gender cosmologies and the ontologization of binary gender codes. While gender studies have challenged this binary construction, they have also had a share in the naturalization of gender by using it as an independent variable. In recent years, however, the critique of gender studies has contributed to a self-critical reflection about methodologies and presumptions underlying research activities in different fields (including gender studies themselves), questioning the notion of knowledge itself. The conference is organized into four topic areas of particular interest: 1. Developments: The history and philosophy of sciences Gendering science and disciplining gender; the historicity of both gender and natural and human sciences; historical developments in both areas of research; how we arrived at the methods and categories we take for granted today. 2. Profiles: Research and researchers The issue of gender, knowledge and science(s) with regard to specific disciplines; importance and consequences of ‘objectivity/subjectivity’, need to ‘produce’ and to ‘re-present’ knowledge; methodologies of gender classification and reinforcement of binaries (or not); reflections on the “ideal researcher” and gender aspects in his/her construction; presentation of particularly important/significant figures. 3. Effects: Social, cultural and individual consequences How do representations and visualizations of scientific results (e.g. brain scans, anatomic drawings, genetic codes, statistics etc.) contribute to social and cultural perceptions of gender, and influence the communal and individual experience of bodiliness? What are the consequences on the level of biopolitics and the organization of culture and society? Effects of medical visualiziation on everyday self-perception and processes of normalization. 4. Perspectives: Politics and the organization of research European policies for research; inter-/transdisciplinarity as a focus; issues in biopolitics; gender issues in politics of employment, contracts, working conditions. We invite proposals for papers on any of the above topics. Abstracts of not more than 600 words should be sent by email to gender2010@fbk.eu by April 30, 2010. Please indicate the topic area your paper relates to. Authors of papers that have been accepted will be notified in July. Full versions of selected papers will be published after the conference. Conference languages are Italian and English. For further information and updates of the program please consult our webpage: http://gender2010.fbk.eu/ or send an email to gender2010@fbk.eu.