2016 Biennial Conference
Association for the Study of Women and Mythology
April 1-2, 2016, Boston, Massachusetts
Call for Proposals
“Seeking Harbor in Our Histories: Lights in the Darkness”
Goddess Scholarship draws on historical, ethnographic and folk sources, among others, to document and honor the sacred and mundane stories which animate the traditions and spiritual lives of our global sisters and our foremothers.
In past conferences, the innovative methodologies and scholarship of ASWM participants have served to problematize contemporary perceptions of civilization, “modernization” and “progress.” Multi-discipline research methodologies have focused on representing historical, thealogical, philosophical, mythological, symbolic, cultural, linguistic and aesthetic lineages.
This year’s conference theme embraces the heritage of location in the historical City of Boston, a harbor city rich in stories and symbols of First Nations of the Atlantic Northeast and the formation of the United States.
We invite papers and panels including, but not limited to the following topics:
- Harbor and hearth as women-centered metaphors
- Myth and lineage of the spirit of place, especially focus on the larger Boston area
- Indigenous stories, histories, and women’s communities of the Atlantic North East
- Paradigms of rebellion, freedom and independence
- Water, ritual and civilization, stories of aquatic goddesses
- Perspectives on First Nations/First Worlds
- Women’s sense of self, social agency, and their roles as citizens
- The female principle in ethics and ancient wisdom for modern times
- Cultural ecofeminism
- Animal mysteries and myth
- Ancestry, foremothers and methodology
- Changing experiences and definitions of the sacred and the profane
Papers should be 20 minutes; panels with up to four papers on a related topic may be proposed together. Workshop proposals should be organized to provide audience interaction and must clearly address the theme. All sessions and workshops are limited to 90 minutes.
Presenters from all disciplines are welcome, as well as creative artists and practitioners who engage mythic themes in a scholarly manner in their work. Presenters must become members of ASWM.
Send 250-word abstract (for panels, 200 word abstract plus up to 150 words per paper) in PDF or MSWord to aswmsubmissions@gmail.com by November 15, 2015. Please use “2016 proposal” and last name in subject header. Include bio of up to 70 words for each presenter, as well as contact information including surface address and email. See www.womenandmyth.org for program updates and registration.