Marginalized Masculinities and the Nation: Global Comparisons, 1800-1945, Heidelberg, 15-17 March 2012‏

Historical scholarship has long established the inextricable interrelationship between gender and the nation. Feminist scholars in particular have demonstrated how male nationalists incorporated women as symbolic, cultural, and biological reproducers of the nation into their "imagined communities." Most studies on the subject tend to focus on the tensions between women's inclusion in nationalist discourse and their exclusion from political decision-making. Others have explored women's active role in nation-building projects. Despite scholars’ insistence on the relational character of gender, however, masculinity continues to be neglected by scholars of gender and the nation. If masculinity is addressed, historians either overstate the cohesion of interests among men or focus exclusively on hegemonic models of manhood and the corresponding perpetuation of the nation-state and patriarchy.

This conference seeks to provide a fresh perspective on the interrelationship between gender and the nation by focusing on the role of marginalized masculinities in nation-building processes between 1800 and 1945. The conference organizers believe that the constructed character and function of manhood in people's attempts to create "imagined communities"
during that period cannot be fully comprehended if the exclusive focus of analysis is the subjugation of women or their resistance to and complicity in that subjugation. Concentrating exclusively on hegemonic masculinity in these processes seems similarly narrow. To understand hegemonic notions of masculinity and the nation, we need to explore the tensions and interrelationships between these dominant concepts and their margins.
Studying the history of gender and the nation from the perspective of marginalized masculinities means focusing on the conflicts among competing concepts of manhood as well as on the differences between them. Far from being one ideologically monolithic bloc, men's access to and interest in nation-building power varies considerably according to race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, age, dis/ability, religion, etc. The conference seeks to focus on these various fragmentations and their role in the creation, expansion, consolidation, and decline of nations around the globe.

Seeking to detect similarities/dissimilarities and continuities/discontinuities across space and time, the conference organizers invite proposals on all world regions that shed light on the history of the interrelationship between marginalized masculinities and the nation between 1800 and 1945. During that period, the emergence of particular forms of masculinity coincided with the founding of modern-nation states. Scientific racism, Imperialism, eugenics, biopolitics, and other forms of exclusion and subjugation became part and parcel of these gendered nation-building processes. The conference organizers accept paper proposals that focus on one particular nation, but they are also interested in comparative and transnational analyses that help us theorize the complex history of marginalized masculinities and the nation in the modern world.

Possible questions that could be addressed include (but are not limited to):

- What were the historical conditions under which certain forms of masculinity (including hegemonic masculinities) came to be marginalized vis-�-vis the nation, while others were not? How did these conditions change over time?

- To what extent and how did hegemonic notions of masculinity and the nation incorporate marginalized masculinities?

- How did women perpetuate or challenge the marginalization of certain masculinities in nation-building processes? What role did "emphasized femininities" and "marginalized femininities" play in these processes?

- What alternative notions of nation did marginalized men develop when being confronted with exclusion from hegemonic nationalism?

- How did marginalized men challenge their exclusion from or collaborated with hegemonic ideologies in nation-building projects?

- How did the tensions between hegemonic and marginalized masculinities impede or derail attempts to create national unity?

- What role did marginalized masculinities play in symbolic representations of the nation? What is their symbolic relationship to emphasized and marginalized femininities?

- What effects did scientific racism, biopolitics, colonialism, and Imperialism have on the interrelationship between hegemonic/marginalized masculinities and the nation?
- What role did the male body play in the marginalization of certain forms of masculinity vis-�-vis the nation?
This conference is organized by Pablo Dominguez (University of Heidelberg) and Simon Wendt (University of Frankfurt) and will be held at the Heidelberg Center for American Studies in Heidelberg, Germany, on March 15-17, 2012.
The University of Heidelberg will provide support for presenters' travel and lodging expenses. A selection of papers will be considered for publication in an edited collection.
Please send a 500-word proposal and a 2-page CV to Pablo Dominguez
(pablodominguez@uni-heidelberg.de) by June 30, 2011. Authors whose proposals are accepted will be notified by August 31, 2011. Inquiries about the conference can also be directed to Pablo Dominguez.

PhD Studentship - Emerging Sports in Serbia, University of Central Lancashite‏

Applications are invited for a full-time scholarship available in the
School of Sport, Tourism & The Outdoors. The scholarship is tenable for
up to 3 years for a PhD and is open to international applicants only.
UK/EU applicants are not eligible to apply. The scholarship will cover
the cost of tuition fees for 3 years.
Project Title:
Emerging Sports in Serbia: A case study of rugby league and cricket
Project Description:
The project will involve a case-study of two emerging sports in Serbia,
rugby league and cricket. A particular aim of the study is to examine
how these sports engage with and foster key dimensions of contemporary
policy agendas, including social cohesion, integration and
reconciliation. The study will involve a detailed examination of the
organisational working of these sports, their histories in Serbia, their
local demographics and their relationship with the international HQ
organisations.
Sport is seen within Serbia as an important aspect of that country’s
preparation for acceptance into the European Union. Accordingly, the
study will look at how these sports are playing their small part in this
process, especially in terms of explicit compliance with the EU agenda
on sport. The working relationship with the Serbian Ministry of Sport
and Youth will also be studied. In disciplinary terms the project will
operate at the intersection of the sociology of sport, organisations,
and community. The methodology is intended to be qualitative, relying on
fieldwork interviewing and document analysis. Access to both the Serbian
Rugby League Federation and the Serbian Cricket Federation has been
established by the project supervisor. Field-work for the project will
be centred in Belgrade. The successful student will need to be fluent
(spoken and written) in both Serbian and English languages.
Applicants should have, or expect to receive a qualification equivalent
to a high class UK honours degree. The project will suit students with a
social science background and related qualifications in areas such as
sociology, social anthropology, international relations and political
science.
Informal project related enquiries may be directed by email to
Professor John Hughson jehughson@uclan.ac.uk
Application Forms can be found at: www.uclan.ac.uk/studentships
Completed application forms should be emailed to
researchdegrees@uclan.ac.uk
The closing date for applications to the Graduate Research Office:
Friday 13 May 2011 5pm British Summer Time
Proposed Interview Date: To be advised

International PhD Scholarship in Changing Images of the Arab World, University of Central Lancashire, UK

Applications are invited for a full-time scholarship available in the School of Journalism, Media & Communication. The scholarship is tenable for up to 3 years for a PhD (via MPhil route) [subject to satisfactory progress] and is open to international applicants only. UK/EU applicants are not eligible to apply. The scholarship will provide £15000 towards the cost of the International tuition fee over 3 years. Political analysts for Al Jazeera have suggested the ‘Dawn of a new Arab century’ (22/2/11). Hilary Clinton has claimed that America is losing the information war to stations such as Al Jazeera and RT (6/3/11).The resilience and determination of Egyptians and other Arab nations to assert a peaceful claim to power and demand democracy challenged the Western notion of the ‘arab exception’ to the desire for democracy and thus more broadly the dominant Orientalist stereotype of the East as irrational, unchanging, emotional and autocratic.
Through a critical discourse analysis approach, this PhD thesis will explore contemporary shifts in representations of the Arab world from the war on terror to the current Arab ‘revolutions’ to consider the ways in which an Orientalist/ ‘exception’ discourse is redrawn, challenged or asserted in western and/or Arab media in 2011. Will changing political realities and the methods of political action through which Arab people attempt to assert agency (Spivak 1988) impact on the Orientalist / ‘exception’ discourse? Should we revisit this agenda to consider the impact of an increasingly globalised consumer market on representation of the Arab world? (Ritzer 2007) The thesis will examine both visual and linguistic discourses. Applicants should have, or expect to receive a qualification equivalent to a high class UK honours degree.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 13 May 2011
Further Scholarship Information and Application

International Student Scholarships and Financial Aid at Texas A&M University, USA

International students may apply for grants and scholarships if they have demonstrated financial need. Financial need itself does not guarantee that a student will receive a grant or a scholarship. Awards are not designed to meet the student’s entire financial need. They are designed to supplement the student’s other financial resources. This permits limited funds to assist the largest number of students. Grants do NOT include a tuition waiver. Continuing students are eligible to apply, however incoming students are required to show they are able to support themselves for one year while attending Texas A&M University. Incoming students may apply their second year for financial aid.  Late Applications Will Not Be Accepted. If you have any questions regarding the application process or documentation requirements.  To be eligible to apply for the ITPEG, an international student must be enrolled full-time in a degree-granting course of study at Texas A&M University
Eligibility: M.Sc. or equivalent degree in Life Sciences or related fields with two years relevant research experience. Candidates should have practical experience in Molecular/Cell Biology techniques and cell culture. Preference will be given to the candidates with published papers in peer-reviewed journals. The position is purely temporary and co-terminus with the DST-PURSE Programme. The initial appointment will be for one year which can be extended on the basis of the performance of the candidate. Scholarship Application Deadline: Summer 2012 Semester (summer supplement also required) April 1, 2012
Further Scholarship Information and Application

Internship at Burson-Marsteller, Brussels

The Burson-Marsteller EMEA Internship Programme is a paid 3-6 month internship, during which interns have the opportunity to work closely with experienced industry professionals as full client team members. The internship offers an invaluable career-development experience that may lead to an employment opportunity with us.
The Burson-Marsteller EMEA Internship Programme is offered in the following offices: Barcelona, Berlin, Bern, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, London, Madrid, Milan, Oslo, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, The Hague and Zurich.
Please indicate your preferred location in your cover letter/CV and send them to Alberto Cois.
Please note: we only consider candidates who have spoken and written fluency in the language of the location where they are applying – as well as professional-level English – and who have the necessary permits and visas to work in that country. alberto.cois@bm.com

International Scholarship in the School of Art, Design & Performance, University of Central Lancashire, UK

The University of Central Lancashire Funding  International PhD Scholarship in The Exploration and Investigation of Electronic and Digital Space in Artists’ Video 2011, UKStudy Subject: The Exploration and Investigation of Electronic and Digital Space in Artists’ Video
Employer: The University of Central Lancashire
Level: PhD
Scholarship Description: Applications are invited for 54 scholarships across the university. The scholarships are tenable for up to 3 years for a PhD (via MPhil route) and are open to international applicants only.  Applications are invited for a full-time scholarship available in the School of Art, Design & Performance. The scholarship is tenable for up to 3 years for a PhD (via MPhil route) [subject to satisfactory progress] and is open to international applicants only. UK/EU applicants are not eligible to apply. The scholarship will provide £15000 towards the cost of the International tuition fee over 3 years.  Based at the Electronic and Digital Art Unit (EDAU), which houses an extensive archive of international artists’ video work, the project will focus on research and analysis of the potential relationships between physical and virtual space that has been developed by artists working with video over the last 40 years. The specific focus of the project in terms of the artists, works and processes to be studied and examined, and the format of the research outcome(s) would be determined by the student in consultation and with the guidance of the supervisory team. It is envisaged that the selected student will be a practicing artist with an interest and/or specialisation in the electronic moving image, but the research may be either practice-based, practice-informed, or entirely academic in its approach and final outcomes
Scholarship Application Deadline: 3 May 2011
Further Scholarship Information and Application

University of Central Lancashire International PhD Scholarship: Women in Education, UK

University of Central LancashireInternational PhD Scholarships,  School of Education & Social Sciences on Women in Education , UK
Study Subject: Women in education: a case for faith schools
Employer: The University of Central Lancashire
Level:PhD
Scholarship Description: Applications are invited for a full-time scholarship available in the School of Education & Social Sciences. The scholarship is tenable for up to 3 years for a PhD (via MPhil route) [subject to satisfactory progress] and is open to international applicants only. UK/EU applicants are not eligible to apply. The scholarship will provide £15000 towards the cost of the International tuition fee over 3 years.  This project will examine the role, position and experience of female teachers within faith schools. In the last twenty years, the position of woman within religion has been investigated by feminist researchers, theologians and sociologists. Franke (2001) argues that the focus of feminist researchers falls into one of several categories, these are: the development of goddess cults, new religions, women as religious leaders, feminist representations of the divine, the body, sexuality and reproduction and female empowerment within religion. Whilst the role of women within religion has been examined, this has not been extended to the role of female educators as women of faith. This project will explore the roles carried out by women in various faiths, and in particular the roles they may take in religious education and faith schools. It will seek to address the issues of women as faith educators and potential faith leaders via qualitative methodologies.
Scholarship Application Deadline: 13 May 2011
Further Scholarship Information and Application