ICA Feminist Scholarship Division 2018 Pre-Conference Promises and Perils of Feminist Theory: Common and Uncommon Ground *Anyone is welcome and encouraged to register - only participation in the second break out sessions is based on a Call for Papers. See details below. Time, Location, Fee Thursday, May 24, 2018 13:00-17:00 Local Time (with 11:30-13:00 offsite lunch, volunteer-basis, location TBD) In one of the two Conference Hotels (details to come) Participant registration fee: $25 Organizers Diana Nastasia, Southern Illinois, Edwardsville Lana Rakow, University of North Dakota Stine Eckert, Wayne State University Description The pre-conference will be a half-day session for Thursday afternoon, May 24, 2018, 13:00-17:00 local time in one of the two conference hotels in Prague. The session will address the issue of feminist communication theory under the title “Promise and Perils of Feminist Theory: Common and Uncommon Ground.” The topic is timely. After discussions about feminist theory in communication that peaked over a decade ago, the subject has not received sustained current attention, despite significant work and critiques by transnational feminists. While important feminist work still is being conducted across speech, rhetoric, journalism, mass communication, and digital technologies, it is time to take stock. What has happened to feminist communication theory? What theories have or have not proven to be useful or heuristic for feminist work in communication? What theories, if any, do we or could we share across our epistemological and ideological differences? Have some theories failed us, or has theory itself failed us? Does or can theory better inform our praxis? Should we pursue the identification of theories – naming names – as a short hand for what we think we know, a foundation for building deeper understanding and potential for change? Or do we need to abandon such efforts because of the peril of essentializing and universalizing? One breakout session focuses on “Recurring Problematics in Doing Feminist Scholarship,” featuring feminist scholars discussing the role of feminist publications, interventions in ways of doing scholarship, barriers to recognition and support for feminist research, linking media pedagogy with practice and theory, and the role of scholarly organizations in validating feminist media research. The second breakout session, “Generating Feminist Communication Theory,” will highlight how feminist communication theories can be developed and advanced. Participants are being sought for this session to present brief positions on a theory they are working on or with. Submissions should be only one to two pages, single spaced, with the theory name and your name and affiliation at the top. The paper should: 1. Describe or summarize the theory; 2. Show any links to other feminist and/or non-feminist theoretical positions and how the theory complements, corrects, or extends other positions; and 3. Describe how the theory has been or could be used to investigate relevant feminist concerns in communication. Submit your position paper via email by January 31, 2018 to Stine Eckert stine.eckert@wayne.edu<mailto:stine.eckert@wayne.edu> Stine Eckert, Ph.D. Chair Feminist Scholarship Division, International Communication Association (ICA) Assistant Professor Department of Communication 571 Manoogian Hall Wayne State University Detroit, MI 48201 @stineeckert http://stineeckert.com/