Virginia Humanities Conference

“The Unbearable Humanities”
Virginia Humanities Conference (April 7-8, 2017)
Shenandoah UniversityDownload the 2017 CFP

The 2017 Virginia Humanities Conference at Shenandoah University invites proposals for papers, panel sessions, and performances that investigate any aspect of unbearableness within the humanities. This conference seeks to explore the concept of the unbearable—that which cannot be endured or tolerated—with scholars, activists, and students from a wide variety of disciplines and institutions. VHC 2017 will examine how and what kinds of knowledge the humanities produce that existing structures cannot bear; how and why approaches to this unbearableness that are grounded in the humanities are met with resistance; and, finally, how we in the humanities value, make use of, and respond to contemporary, and sometimes unbearable, issues.

Possible interdisciplinary themes include but are not limited to the following:

Unbearable People: How do humanities studies challenge conversations about what it means to be human?

• The unbearable in mass media, social media, and/or popular culture
• Celebrity and fan culture
• Refugees, migrants, and the undocumented
• Cyborgs, werewolves, zombies, superheroes, and/or the transhuman

Unbearable Ambiguity: How does ambiguity serve as a structuring mechanism of social life?

• Ambiguous identities (racial, linguistic, gender, etc.)
• In-between spaces
• Living with ambiguity
• Teaching the ambiguous

Unbearable Futures: How do humanities studies trouble the assumption of a happy future?

• Social activism and/or social movements
• Eco-cultural studies
• Future role of the humanities and the arts
• Future of the academy and/or free speech on college campuses

Please submit 250-word abstracts to vhc@su.edu, or using this online form. Individual, panel, and roundtable proposals are welcome. Undergraduate students are invited to present their research via interactive poster sessions or individual papers with the support of a faculty member. Deadline for submission is January 15, 2017. Conference will be held April 7-8, 2017, on Shenandoah University’s main campus in Winchester, VA.

Check-in to the VHC at Virginia Military Institute is in the main level of the Marshall Center for Leadership and Ethics located behind Smith Hall.  Please consult the post map under Visitor Information at www.vmi.edu.

Virginia Humanities Conference Information

VHC Program

We are still accepting proposals for individual papers and panels–the deadline has been extended to April 1. Submit your proposal online!

The Virginia Humanities Conference invites proposals for papers, panel sessions, and performances that investigate any aspect of the humanities. However, we are particularly interested in papers that examine the role of the humanities in the digital era. The theme reflects our interest in the examination of the challenges faced by the humanities in the digital age where their relevance is oftentimes questioned. It also reflects our desire to highlight the enduring value of the humanities in the digital age in an atmosphere where there exists great opportunity for collaboration between the humanities and the digital world for the greater collective good. We believe that this year’s conference will also contribute to re-envisioning our work in the humanities.

Possible topics for consideration:

• What are the challenges faced by the humanities in the digital world?
• How can the humanities serve in the digital world for the general benefit of people?
• What are avenues for the use of the digital world to strengthen the perceived relevance of the humanities?
• What are potentially effective pedagogical methods for the incorporation of the digital world into the classroom?

Please submit a 250-word proposal to Dr. Eric W. Osborne by email to osborneew@vmi.edu. You may also submit a proposal online, using this form.

Proposals for panel sessions should identify all participants and include both an overview and a brief abstract of each presentation.

Deadline for receipt of all proposals: March 1, 2016

The draft conference schedule is now available–you can download it directly from Google Drive here, or read through it below. We will have the FINALIZED schedule available here within the week, so please be sure you register in a timely fashion and let us know if you have any questions or concerns!

The Hilton Arlington Gateway has given the VHC an extraordinary conference rate, so we encourage you to make use of the code which will be available shortly!

Hilton Arlington
Group code: VHC
950 NORTH STAFFORD STREET
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, 22203
TEL: +1-703.812.5113  FAX: +1-703-812-5127

Marymount’s Main Campus is located at:

2807 North Glebe Road
Arlington, VA 22207

We hope to send out a complete draft schedule by the weekend. In the meantime, we hope this outline will help:

Friday, April 10

12:00: Check-in begins
1:00 – 2:15: Concurrent Panels 01-04
2:30-3:45: Concurrent Panels 05-08
4:00-5:30: Keynote/Bisson Lecture
6:00: Welcome Reception

Saturday, April 11

9:00: Check-in begins
9:30-10:45: Concurrent Panels 09-13
11:00-12:15: Concurrent Panels 14-18
Lunch
1:30-2:45: Concurrent Panels 19-23
3:00-4:15: Concurrent Panels 24-28
4:30-5:45: Concurrent Panels 29-33
6:00-7:15: Presenter Banquet
7:30-8:15: Concurrent Panels 33-36

Sunday, April 12

10:30-12:30: Museum Outing (American History Museum)