Hijas/os de la Malinche?: Disruptions and discussions on gender and mexicanidad
Friday 13th November 2015
UCL-Institute of the Americas, London, UK
The aim of this one-day workshop is to raise awareness within the UK of the diverse ways in which gender is lived, experienced and understood by Mexicans. In doing so, the event contributes to the educational and cultural goals of the 2015 Year of Mexico in the UK and the UK in Mexico. The workshop has two key themes. The first is to go beyond gendered stereotypes of Mexican peoples such as the images of the machisto chauvinist male and the submissive marianista female. Instead we want to highlight the diversity and nuance within both representations of gender and men’s and women’s actual lives. The second theme is the transnational dimensions of gender. This includes the experiences of indigenous peoples of Mexico, as well as migrants in Mexico and the Mexican diaspora. Another aspect to be considered is the impact of Mexico’s colonial past, which differs greatly from the legacy of imperialism in the UK. Throughout the day, comparisons between the two countries will be encouraged, with attention to contrasts and commonalities.
The workshop allows UK-based and Mexican scholars to share their research and create dialogue between the two countries. We particularly encourage postgraduate students to contribute, including Mexican students living in the UK. We also welcome participants from NGOs, charities and other interested organizations.
Each panel session will involve short presentations and a longer period for discussion; we will also require a 750 word summary to circulate beforehand. We welcome submissions for consideration on any aspect of the theme, broadly defined, and from different academic disciplines. We will also consider contributions in the form of posters or other mediums, such as poetry. Contributors will have the option of being considered, where appropriate, for a special issue of the History of Women in the Americas journal (http://journals.sas.ac.uk/hwa) – a freely accessible, Open Access publication.
The event is being co-organized by the Mexican Embassy in London, SHAW (the Society for the History of Women in the Americas), the SALSA Collective (a network for UK scholars interested in latinidades across the Americas) and the UCL Institute for the Americas. There will be no registration fee for this workshop. For further information about the workshop or to submit a proposal, please email Dr Sinead McEneaney, sinead.mceneaney@stmarys.ac.uk. Proposals should include contact details, an abstract of 200 words and questions for discussion (a summary of 750 words will be required four weeks before the event). The deadline for proposals is 21st August 2015. We will confirm acceptance by 21st September, although earlier consideration for international delegates may be possible.