The Time is Now. Feminist Leadership in a New Era.
We are very pleased to announce a Call for Papers for an upcoming e-book entitled: The Time is Now. Feminist Leadership in a New Era. The book will be published digitally by the Global Network of UNESCO Chairs on Gender in October 2018. Selection will be made based on 200-300-words abstracts received no later than Tuesday, May 15th. Selected contributors will be notified no later than two-weeks after this date. Authors are expected to send their full essay no later than Sunday, July 15th, 2018. Essays may be written in English, French or Spanish and should not exceed 3000 words, including notes and bibliographical references—Please, use APA Style for formatting and citations: http://www.bibme.org/apa
**Send your contributions to: aalonso@wisc.edu and langledepaz@wisc.edu
We aim at putting together an international reference-collection on current theoretical and analytical paradigms that refresh classic discussions around the notion of ‘feminist leadership’ and propose updated frameworks. Once more, feminists, must ask what kind of power and leadership can best advance feminist agendas and implement transformational gender analyses to address the unbalances and threats of the 21st-century globalized world. Essays may be strictly theoretical or analytically explanatory of methodologies, paradigms and strategies of related research, projects and programs. They must implicitly or explicitly address the following question: How can we most effectively build and promote feminist leadership?
The book project departs from the idea that pragmatism is intrinsic to feminist leadership because it is about prompting effective, long-lasting, sustainable, deep social and structural change. Feminist leadership is ultimately about collective and individual power, at the micro- and global levels, and about understanding marginalized forms of leadership that are forged at the micro-levels to support them so that they can expand. Many questions derive from reflecting about feminist leadership and pragmatism: How can power be defined and boosted within the complexities of positionality so that feminist action multiplies? What are some of the strategies that allow feminists to enact leadership within patriarchal structures? How much should be strategically compromised? Should power be completely or partially redefined through feminist parameters? Should re-definitions of power be strategically combined with patriarchal models of leadership? How is change envisioned by marginalized agents of change and how can such visions and agents be supported? What is desired feminist change and women’s empowerment in each specific geo-political location, positionality, circumstance, context? What are some of the current models and paradigms and should new ones be brought up to the forefront? What are some of the specific projects from which we can draw new paradigms? What are some of the conceptual complexities of the notion of ‘gender justice’ through the lenses of a discussion of feminist leadership and pragmatic action? What kinds of networking and coalition-building are most effective nowadays to boost and reinforce gender-related socially transformational action at all levels and social sectors?
Book contributions may address any of the following guiding questions and themes.
What is feminist leadership? Discussions and definitions about power; Micro-/Macro-power, visible/invisible power; Feminist politics and values; Definitions of leadership; Differences feminist/women’s leadership; Theoretical/analytical/conceptual debates and frameworks; Pragmatism for social transformation; Cultural diversity, international feminisms and feminist leadership; Values/Ideological venues to build feminist leadership; Gender approach vs. feminist approach to leadership; Feminist leadership within human rights debates; Working “within” patriarchal structures vs. resistance and revolution; Revisiting gender, rethinking patriarchy; New opportunities and challenges of networking and coalition-building.
What are some of the models of feminist leadership? Bridging feminist action and theory; Education and capacity/skills building for feminist leaders; Specific programs as models; New socio-cultural and economic challenges in development; Integrating queer gender/sexuality discussions and realities into feminist leadership; Addressing different cultural specificities and contexts effectively; Types of professional engagements ; Boosting women as leaders; Fostering male feminist leaders; Reframing old models and proposing new paradigms; Individual vs. collective leadership.
How can the impact of feminist leadership be measured? Detecting incipient feminist leadership and reinforcing them; Building feminist leadership in diverse contexts and locations; Evaluation methods; Qualitative vs. quantitative analyses; New technologies and instruments
How can feminist leadership be approached from different fields of knowledge and professions? Different disciplines and approaches to promote feminist leaders; Different professional sectors and actors; Multidisciplinary/multi-sectoral alliances in the global world; Complementarity, strategical planning, transformational action; Methodological disciplinary challenges.
We hope to raise your enthusiasm towards this exciting project and look forward to your contributions.
Sincerely,
Araceli Alonso & Teresa Langle de Paz
Co-Directors of UNESCO Chair on Gender, Wellbeing and Culture of Peace
Department of Gender and Women’s Studies
University of Wisconsin-Madison
U.S.A.