Cultural Studies Symposium Call for Papers

The Cultural Studies Graduate Student Organization invites submissions for the 2nd Annual Cultural Studies Graduate Symposium to be held March 18, 2018 at the University of Pittsburgh.  The deadline for abstracts, open to all graduate students enrolled in the Cultural Studies Certificate, is November 1, 2018.  Submissions should be no more than 300 words.  

In recognition of the University’s “Year of Health” initiative, abstracts submitted should focus on the intersections between cultural studies and health, broadly conceived. We welcome work from across disciplines that demonstrate the myriad ways in which health and culture influence one another. We invite diverse theoretical approaches and methodologies that engage the question of culture and health in new, exciting ways.

From recent whole foods fad diets like Whole 30 and Paleo, to discussions of the mental health of government officials and terrorists, health readily appears in and shapes everyday discussions of current events and popular culture. Some possible topics include, but are not limited to: how class affects conceptions of nutrition and diet; the minimization of health and wellness through reality television shows like The Biggest Loser and My Big Fat Fabulous Life; the change in the reception of medical expert advice due to the digitization of medical information; the various ways epidemic outbreaks are covered in news media; the devaluation and stigmatization of medication as a valid form of treatment for mental illness; and the increasing technoscientization of the body through cutting edge prostheses and medical interventions.

Proposals should be submitted by November 1, 2017 by 11:59p and should include:

a.             Your name, email address, and department

b.             A 300 word (or less) abstract

Please send all abstracts or questions to the Cultural Studies Officers at clstpitt@gmail.com. Decisions will be sent out no later than December 2017.