IAMAS 2020 Conference CfP

Conference Call for Papers

International Association of Maternal Action and Scholarship

Theme: Caring About Mothers

May 1-3, 2020  // Chicago, IL

Often women’s caregiving skills are dismissed as essential traits that do not require compensation. While mothers tend to be the caregivers of others, who cares about mothers and the work that they do? Do people (including ourselves as mothers), communities, businesses, governments, and other entities empower – or fail to empower – mothers? What are the harms of essentialism in this framework? Are there any benefits? How does feminism shape the ways we talk about motherhood? What might the impact of change look like and how might this be important? Who would be affected? How do race, class, gender, sexuality, single motherhood, religious beliefs, citizenship, and ableism (among other factors and markers) shape this analysis? 

Moreover, as more women have entered paid work and as Baby Boomers require more care, outsourced care and paid carework have become integral in many families. How does outsourced care and paid carework alter the ways that we think about caregiving? How might trickle-down feminism come into play when women outsource childcare and what might the alternatives be? In what ways might capitalism and the changes therein (e.g., austerity measures, proposals for a universal income, the gig economy, national childcare, etc.) help or hinder women individually or as a group? How can we better advocate for mothers and support the work that all caregivers do?

This interdisciplinary conference asserts that we need to interrogate our ideologies, cultural practices, work habits, government policies, and family dynamics in order to move toward a better and more just world. IAMAS welcomes proposals for its 2020 conference, which offers academics of all fields, writers, mothers, artists, health professionals, political activists, lawyers, and more a venue to explore the critical issue of supporting mothers and carework.

NEW THIS YEAR

• Think Tank 2020: selecting theme of engagement + team leaders
• Mission/Vision: input/development
• Workshops: possibly inc. activism, writing for mass media, + more
• Task Force Meetings: election of team leaders +  dev. of goals
• First annual MOMA award announcement + keynote

If you are interested in being considered as a presenter, please submit your

250-word abstract and a 50-word bio to kbgarner@iamas.com.

Those submitting an abstract must be a current IAMAS member.

Sign up here: https://iamas.com/membership/individual-membership/