EACAS 2021: APPRAISING CRITICAL ANIMAL STUDIES

The Centre for Human-Animal Studies (Edge Hill University, UK) is
delighted to be the host for the 7th Biennial Conference of the European
Association for Critical Animal Studies (EACAS). The conference will be
virtual and will take place on June 24-25th 2021.

EACAS 2021: APPRAISING CRITICAL ANIMAL STUDIES

Call for Papers

Whilst the ultimate success of CAS will be measured in terms of material
social change in the lived circumstances of nonhuman animals a pathway
to this involves cultural and political contestation. An overarching aim
of critical animal studies has been to contest the anthropocentrism of
academic knowledge. This has taken place across traditional academic
disciplines, their sub-disciplines, and broader fields of knowledge
under the rubric of the ‚animal turn‘ over the last few decades. Yet CAS
has always been extra-academic. Consequently, the politicization of
human-animal relations has also taken place in the broader culture,
including in social movements, NGOs and in the media.

In this virtual conference we aim to assess and appraise progress in
such spheres contesting hegemonic and normalized anthropocentrism. We
seek papers falling under two broad categories – i) those which either
constitute (or examine) examples of this contestation, and ii) reflect
and review the progress of critical animal studies. Such reflection
inevitably entails detailed critical scrutiny of the CAS field and its
overlaps with animal studies more generally, as well as the political
and cultural constraints on the animalization of academia and culture.
It also entails being attentive to where critical perspectives on human
/ nonhuman animal relations are especially lacking and yet most needed
right now, and how CAS and all those working to end animal oppression
can progress the movement in a more coherent, consistent, and effective
manner.

We welcome papers from all disciplines and sub-fields, and from those
working independently or as part of advocacy/activist movements. Areas
of focus include, but are not limited to:

Established disciplines – e.g. Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy,
Literature, Art, Media, Politics, Film, TV, Geography, History,
Anthropology and their sub-disciplines.

Established fields – e.g. Cultural Studies, Gender & Women’s Studies,
Critical Race Studies, Disability Studies, Childhood Studies,
Organisational Studies, Ecofeminism, Ecosocialism.

The media – facilitator or gatekeeper?

Life in the ‚life‘ sciences – e.g. Ecology, Animal Welfare science,
Ethology, Veterinary science

Animals and/in education (studies)

Substantive areas – e.g. Climate Crisis, Sixth Mass Extinction,
Pandemics

Legal rights, laws and regulations

Progress in the animalisation of academia

Critical animal perspectives in social movements

Pathways for animal inclusion – e.g. Intersectionality, One Health

Mainstreaming critical perspectives – lessons from other social
movements

You can also submit an abstract to a symposium internal to the
conference themed around _Heterotopia, radical imagination, and
shattering orders: manifesting a future of liberated animals_ hosted by
Dr. Paula Arcari. Please see https://tinyurl.com/y356utrk for more
information

Idea for another topic or medium that fits with our theme? We welcome
presentations in all formats. Let us know!

Please submit a 250-word abstract and short bio to cfhas@edgehill.ac.uk
by 28TH FEBRUARY 2021. Include EACAS 2021 in the subject line.
Registration will open in the spring time.

Abstracts will be assessed by: Claire Parkinson (CfHAS, UK), Paula
Arcari (CfHAS, UK), Brett Mills (CfHAS, UK), Richard Twine (CfHAS, UK),
Kathryn Gillespie (USA), Nuria Almiron (Spain), Dinesh Wadiwel
(Australia), and Helena Pedersen (Sweden).

https://sites.edgehill.ac.uk/cfhas/eacas-2021/