Earth animal communities: exploring collective liberation

A two day conference hosted by ICAS Africa

To be held at the University of Cape Town

August 31 to 1 September 2013

Call for papers
Critical Animal Studies is rapidly becoming a recognised field of investigation worldwide. Broadly, it is a theoretical and practical engagement with the myriad ways in which humans dominate and oppress non-human animals, the complex intersections between human and non-human lives and the exploration of alternative ways of relating across the species divide. The strong parallels with various forms of hierarchy and domination within human society means that work in critical animal studies is at core interdisciplinary, overlapping with areas such as linguistics, feminism, environmental studies, anthropology, film and media studies, fine art, philosophy, psychology, religious studies, law, queer studies, politics and sociology.

We encourage presentations related to critical animal studies in any of these areas, or on topics such as:

• activism;

• anarchism and its relationship to animals;

• animal agency and resistance, animal rights and social justice;

• animal cognition;

• animal exploitation industries;

• animal ethics, the body and vulnerability as well as animal subjectivities;

• animals and human identities;

• animals in war;

• Animals, class, and place in South Africa;

• Animals in/and Africa;

• Biotechnology and animals;

• Captivity: animals in zoos and marine parks;

• Colonialism, imperialism, and animal rights;

• Companion animals;

• Compassion, empathy, solidarity;

• Critical analyses of national and transnational animal regulation;

• Critical Animal Studies, the post-humanities and academia;

• Current campaigns and issues in animal rights activism;

• Decolonisation and animal politics;

• Developing animal rights activism and creating cultures of compassion;

• Discourse and propaganda of the Animal-Industrial Complex;

• Ecofeminism;

• Ecoterrorism;

• Feminist approaches to animals;

• Food sovereignty/justice and animal rights;

• Globalisation and animal exploitation;

• Historical understandings of animals;

• Histories of the Animal-Industrial Complex;

• Humane education;

• International animal rights campaigns;

• Intersectionality

• Meat and gender identities;

• Queer theory and the animal;

• Race, racism, and animal rights;

• Representing animals;

• Research methods and Critical Animal Studies;

• Sanctuaries;

• Social construction of animals;

• Speciesism and anti-speciesism

• Theories and practices of abolitionism;

• Theories of intersectionality;

• Undercover investigations and their criminalisation;

• Veganism and vegetarianism;

• Vivisection and animals in scientific research;

• Welfare vs rights vs liberation discourses;

• Wildlife conservation, rewilding and animal protection;

• Wildlife trade;

Aims
The aim of this conference is to bring together academics, activists and anyone else wishing to know more about Critical Animal Studies.  We particularly encourage emerging researchers (of any age) to present papers at the conference.  It is understood that these might be works in progress.

An important aspect of Critical animal Studies is “…the bridging of theory and action, academia and activism,” (Richard Twine, CAS Europe Director) and particular attention will be paid to exploring ways of translating theory into action.

Planned activities
The following activities will form part of our conference:

• presentations of research;
• informal special interest group presentations;
• panel discussions;
• art work displays; and
• a poetry event.

How to participate
For presentations, please send a 150-300 word abstract to Sarah Smith: Haggis@unisa.ac.za.
For poetry and artwork, please send a brief description to the same address.

Deadlines for submission
Receipt of abstracts: Closing date 14 July 2013
Notification of acceptance: Within 14 days of receipt of abstract