Mothering and Motherhood: Past, Present, and Future
Boston, MA USA and online
Organization: IAMAS and Boston University
CfP for the IAMAS and Boston University 2024 Conference
Theme: Mothering and Motherhood: Past, Present, and Future
Location: Boston, Mass. (USA) and online
Dates: June 21-23, 2024
Abstract due date: Oct. 15, 2023
The 2024 International Association of Maternal Action + Scholarship (IAMAS) conference will be co-hosted with Boston University’s. the Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning at the College of General Studies. We invite scholars, writers, artists, and activists to join our examination of mothering and motherhood. Our goal is to name our inheritances, honor our present responsibilities, and orient ourselves towards better worlds. With this intergenerational theme, we invite considerations of time, place, race, gender, sexuality, class, subjectivity, religion, ableism, media, literature, politics, education, and more.
Any research, analysis, art, and/or thought leadership that centers maternal research, matricentric feminism, or motherhood will be considered, and we encourage participants to examine practices and theory that connect to race-based oppression, racial solidarity and allyship, and potential avenues for innovative growth and sustainable community building. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Utopian visions of mothering and motherwork,
- Reclaiming and (un-)learning motherhood,
- Intersectional perspectives on motherhood and mothering,
- The trajectory of motherhood and mothering studies (past, present and future),
- Media and literary analysis of mothering and motherhood (past, present and future),
- Economics of motherhood: waged work, universal basic income, neoliberalism, poverty, etc.,
- Mothering policies: examples and aspirations,
- Engaging with matricentric feminism,
- Global/International mothering,
- Subversive motherhood/mothering as resistance through time,
- Transgenerational perspectives on motherhood and mothering,
- Queering motherhood and mothering,
- Mothering in the academy, and
- Mothering and/as activism.
IAMAS is devoted to furthering scholarship, activism, and practices of mothering and mothering across all disciplines. Thus, we invite submissions from scholars, activists, and practitioners whose work centers motherhood in multifaceted and interdisciplinary ways. We also welcome workshops, art, poetry/fiction, interviews, roundtable discussions, and more. While all presentations should be substantive and thoughtful, we believe that knowledge production should not be limited to and by academics. We encourage creativity, engagement, and community building.
A few notes to consider when submitting an abstract:
1. Individual papers are welcome, but we encourage applicants to propose a three-person panel and/or roundtable discussions in order to encourage more focused and productive group conversation.
2. We aim to make rich, bold conversation a key component of our time together. We encourage you to consider HOW you will present your information as well as what you will present. We encourage creativity and showcasing new/successful methods of (online) teaching.
3. We intend to collect paper drafts (via Google docs) 10 days before the conference commences.
In addition to panel talks, the conference will include:
- an amazing keynote address by Dr. Andrea O’ Reilly,
- opportunities to get involved in IAMAS through voting on next year’s conference theme and engaging with the work of one of our task forces,
- encouragement and support from our amazing action/affinity collectives,
- complimentary access to our 4th annual MOMA award presentation and reception,
- extensive opportunities to network and take part in meaningful mentoring,
undergraduate roundtables, and time to discuss current events, books, and current and future writing projects.
This is our second year of offering full dual-modality, meaning all attendees share a common space via 360-degree cameras and tech-enabled rooms.
We aim to make this a child- and family-friendly conference. Children are welcome in the conference spaces. We hope to provide programming that will extend our work to those who travel with us.
Cost: 3-day conference costs are based on a sliding scale.
Abstracts are due Oct. 15, 2023.
IAMAS (formerly MIRCI) is a 25+ year-old organization that welcomes people of all disciplines, as well as activists, lawyers, writers, artists, and maternal advocates. Our conferences offer the intellectual rigor expected from academic conferences, while recognizing that knowledge can be accrued and practiced in different ways. We welcome all who are engaged with maternal scholarship, thought leadership, and activism to join regardless of career, motherhood status, sex/gender identification, or sexual orientation. More information is on our website at https://iamas.com.
If you have questions about Boston University, please contact Lynn O'Brien Hallstein at lhallst@bu.edu. Questions concerning conference pricing, abstract submission, programing, or other related issues, should be directed to Katie B. Garner at kbgarner@iamas.com.
Katie Garner