__________________________________________________
Call for Papers Theme: Contesting 'Self' and 'Other' Subtitle: Identities of Caste, Tribe, Gender and Beyond Type: International Conference Institution: Department of History and Department of Anthropology, Assam University Diphu Campus Location: Diphu, AS (India) Date: 27.–28.3.2015 Deadline: 30.1.2015 __________________________________________________ The issues of ‘self’ and ‘other’ have been the subject of much academic debate in the study of marginal identity issues all over the world. This debate addresses several questions. What is an identity, how are marginal identities different from others? How the self is contested with other? In keeping above questions Identity can be defined as the sense that people make of themselves through their subjective feelings based on their everyday experiences and wider social relations. The self and other identities have been undermined due to the globalization and social network revolution that enabled the marginalized communities to look into their own identities and resisting the power and hegemony of the agencies in the name of social identity movements in the 21 st century. For instance caste, tribe, and gender identities have all arisen is some way from a redrawing of the ‘otherness’ and every day experiences in the society. The term ‘otherness’ often used in understanding of caste, tribe and gender identity struggles in contemporary society. For example being Indian may be most easily articulated in terms of not being colonial white; to be dalit (oppressed) may be conveyed in terms of not being upper caste in Indian context. The same dalit identity is contested with elite dalit identity. In the case of tribe and gender also the same. dalit or elite dalit, tribe or other tribal identities can be seen as relational. This relational position reflects wider ideas surrounding identity being viewed in relation to an ‘other’ or ‘others’ who are seen as possessing a different identity. It can be said that self-identity is defined in terms of difference from the objectified other. Recent writings appreciate the close relationship between caste, tribe and gender that got manifested in many ways. The historians and anthropologists saw that the peculiarity of Asian society lay in caste. They also saw that there was a section in society, namely the aboriginal tribes, which had not been brought into caste society. The structure of caste society differed from tribal society in many respects. Gender was one important aspect in which the organization of a tribe differed from that of a caste. The construction of ‘otherness identities’ have become an important issue in contemporary society. It is not a matter of surprise, therefore, that social/historical inquiries into their conditions have attracted several scholars. The adivasis or aboriginal tribes do not have that sort of importance in the society, except in the tribal belts. The gender question on the other hand, has also attracted a lot of attention, particularly because of the rise of the feminist movement in post-independence period. Like other social groups, women also have been involved in collective actions equipped with their agenda, leadership, ideologies and organizations in order to have their proper and dignified place in all aspects of life. The forces of new technologies, social network and globalization have been playing an important role in the representation of local/personal identities as historical construction. It enabled the growing of identity politics after 1980’s, ‘otherness’ identities expose their resistance to not only universal hegemonies but also contesting within the same identity in many aspects that extensively have been playing an important role in the weakening of these identities. The otherness identity question have been emerging an alternative force in presenting of their experiences in the mainstreams society. The otherness and their experiences, struggles are different from region to region and country to country also. In this way we need to assess the nature of identity struggles of otherness in the study of personal experiences from grass root levels. This will help us to construct otherness identities and contextualize the debates related to identities from multi disciplinary perspective. The present conference proposes to explore the nature of social subordination and its diverse forms of subordinations in study of personal experiences/struggle and structural domination within the same social identities. The interface between contemporary state and social identities on the one hand and relationships among personal identities on the other hand provided the context within which social discrimination or subordination is practiced. Social marginalization, contestation and discrimination existed since time immemorial. But the formation and development of technology, globalization, and social network revolution heralded the process of major changes in the social identity movements which remolded many of the pre-existing social discriminations. This conference will explore the identity struggles in understanding of contestations within self and other identities of caste, tribe and gender. Sub-themes 1. Conceptualizing ‘Self‘ and ‘Otherness’ Identity 2. Post Modernity and Nature of Identity Movements 3. Contextualizing Caste, Identity and Marginalisation 4. Mapping Aboriginals or Tribe or Adivasi Identities 5. Conceptualising Gender and Identity 6. Third Gender/Sex and Identity Question 7. Identities and Post Colonialism and Post Modernism 8. Lower Caste Movements - Identity Question 9. Tribal/Ethnic Movements - Identity Question 10. Tribal Development and Identity Question 11. Feminist Movements - Women Identity Issues 12. Hegemonic Agencies and Identity Movements 13. Impact of Globalisation and Identity Formations 14. Technology-Caste, Tribe and Gender 15. Social Networking Revolution - Marginal Identities Outcome of the Seminar The present seminar would also take up panel discussions on the central theme which attempts to review the two-day international conference and hope to develop a latest paradigm for understanding of the identity formations and their struggles among the marginal communities. The conference proceeding will be of high quality that will be published by reputed international publisher and will be used by research scholars, academicians and policy makers as source for various purpose. Guidelines for Abstract and Full Paper Papers are invited from the foregoing field’s academicians, social activists, research scholars and policy makers on the above mentioned themes. The abstract and full text of the paper should be sent to the conference Coordinators, Dr. Kh. Narendra Singh (or) Dr. Vulli Dhanaraju, Department of Anthropology & Department of History, Assam University, Diphu Campus, Diphu, Karbi Anglong (Dist), Assam-782460. The guidelines for submission of abstracts and full papers are as follows. Abstract - The abstract should not exceed 250 words. - It should include title of the abstract the author’s name, designation, institutional affiliation, contact address, contact number, E-mail ID. - Authors are requested to kindly send the abstract through E-mail to the ID: [email protected] (or) [email protected] latest by January, 30, 2015. Full Paper - The length of full paper including tables, diagrams, illustrations, references, etc. should be between to 6000 to 8000 words. - The full paper should be in English and typed in MS-Word in Times New Roman with font size 12 and 1.5 spaced. - References/Notes should be given at the end of the text. - The selected full version of papers should be submitted in soft copy latest through E-mail to the ID: [email protected] (or) [email protected] by March 15, 2015. A Committee will review the abstracts and full papers and information regarding acceptance, modification, rejection and presentation shall be communicated to the authors subsequently. The presented papers in the conference will be published in a reputed international publication. Note: Foreign delegates can send their video presentation via E-mail which will be displayed during the conference and they also will be given certificates and papers will be published in international reputed publication. Important Dates Abstract Submission (250 words): 30th January, 2015 Notification of Acceptance of Abstract: 3rd February, 2015 Last Date for Full Paper Submission: 15th March, 2015 Conference Dates: 27th - 28th, March, 2015 Registration: 4th - 28th February, 2015 Registration with Late fee: 1st - 15th March, 2015 For more information please visit: http://www.aus.ac.in/seminars/Conference_Concept_Note.pdf __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org __________________________________________________
