New Directions in Media and Sociology Research (NDiMS) conference 2020
Gender, Equality and Voice
20 March 2020 | School of Media, Communication & Sociology (University of Leicester).

Keynote speakers (confirmed): Dr. Ruth Lewis (University of Northumbria), Dr. Jilly Kay (University of Leicester)

Despite decades of social change, the challenge for gender equality remains extremely topical. While we celebrate all the feminist/female battles that have been won over the years, it remains debatable if issues relating to (everyday) sexism and (in)equality have actually ameliorated. On the one hand, we have already heard conservative voices claiming, for instance, that the #MeToo movement has gone too far. Similarly, Greta Thunberg, a massively exposed 16-year old climate activist, has been the receiver of an unprecedented amount of verbal abuse both by men of politics (you guessed right, we mean Donald Trump) and ordinary internet users. It was only in 2018 when Hungary’s far right government banned gender studies from the country’s universities. On the other hand, gender equality as a major discourse, is attracting growing visibility due to the ongoing feminist mobilizations in the digital and offline terrain. From the women’s protection units in Rojava to Women’s March and Pride Parades and from ‘Dear White People’ (Netflix) and #freethenipple to academic research on image – based abuse, countless examples highlight the increasing prevalence of gender justice in the present as well as the future.

Living in the Hashtag era, our lives are unavoidably influenced by online content to a certain degree. So how do people create their own voice and via which channels do they choose to express it? Who are the receptors of the views and opinions posted online and in what ways do online interactions shape the current political scene? How has the issue of gender (in)equality been represented through these voices? What is the impact of gender equality changes on social, political, cultural and economic perspectives?

In this year’s conference we welcome abstracts touching upon the following themes:

  • Online and offline (Trans) Gender activism
  • Harassment, sexist attacks in (digital) public discourse and the creation of safe(r) spaces
  • Misogyny and rape culture in non-digital/digital environments
  • Journalistic representations of gender – based crimes
  • Mainstream and social media depictions of feminism
  • AI, voice and gender – based bias
  • Gender, borders and mobilit-ies
  • Gender, race and class
  • Global feminist struggles and modes of organization
  • Intersectionality in social movements
  • Feminism in radical politics
  • Postcolonial feminism
  • Gender representations in art
  • Gender and voice in academic research. Emerging methodologies, ethical considerations
  • Gender and equality in Higher Education (HE).

We welcome single or co-authored presentations and would like to encourage submissions from PhD students, independent researchers as well as artists and activists.

Please submit your abstract of 250 words as either a Word document or PDF at NDiMS2020@gmail.com by Monday 17th February 2020.

Notifications of acceptance: By 23rd February 2020.

Costs: The conference is free but we encourage a contribution of £10 in solidarity with those attendees whose do not have PhD-funding that covers travel costs. These attendees can contact us for additional travel funding. There is a cap of £ 75, – and is based upon a first come first serve-policy.

‘Collective Care’ Workshop

This year NDiMS, will host a ‘collective care’ workshop that will take place during the conference. We want to create a space where we will be able to express and discuss various issues that we might encounter within or outside the context of academia, seek collective solutions or -why not- contemplate and reflect on our failures! This will be a drop in session and attendance is optional.