Fat Studies in the UK - a one day seminar and round table
Centre for Women’s Studies
University of York
Friday 2nd May 2008
10am-5.30pm
(registration 9.30)
Invited Speakers
- Lucy Aphramor - Coventry University
- Charlotte Cooper - author ‘Fat and Proud: The Politics of Size’
- Dr Ruth Deery - University of Hudderfield
- Dr Louise Mansfield - Canterbury Christ Church University
- Dr Lee Monaghan - University of Limerick
- Dr Rachel White - University of Westminster
- Dr Sharon Wray - University of Huddersfield
For information on speakers and details of their presentations go here
For event programme go here
What is fat studies?
Fat studies is an important and emerging interdisciplinary area of study incorporating scholarship from the humanities and social sciences. Contributors to the discipline confront and critique cultural constraints against notions of fatness and the fat body. As with women’s studies, queer studies and disability studies, there is a political imperative to the work within fat studies, with an aim to create social change around issues of weight oppression, through promoting size acceptance and body diversity.
Why a fat studies seminar?
While there have been seminars and workshops in the UK that have covered fat studies topics, there appears to be an absence of explicit engagement with fat studies as a discipline. Comparatively, several fat studies conferences have taken place in recent years in the States with a lot of the work and focus on the discipline being US led. Here in the UK, there is a great deal of new and exciting work that explores fatness but as a fledgling discipline it sometimes happens in isolation. Whether or not we call our work ‘fat studies’, what that means and whether we name the activisms we do fat activism, size acceptance and/or body diversity can be discussed at this event. There is also an imperative to explore the intersections between activism and academic approaches so as to facilitate a greater connection with community politics and activisms within academia, strengthening body positive goals and achievements. The aim of the seminar is to celebrate, experience and debate this work and for this to be the springboard to other such events both within academia and the wider community.
The objectives of the day are to discuss the discipline of fat studies in a UK context; acknowledge the importance of fat activism and politics and explore the links between activism and research; and to bring together like-minded researchers, activists and supporters of size acceptance in the UK. The programme includes speakers from activist and research perspectives and a round table discussion between all present on activism & academic approaches and methods.
Schedule
Deadline for submission of abstracts: CLOSED
Notification of speaker acceptance: CLOSED
Deadline for registration: 18th April 2008
Registration
Registration for the event is £9
see FSUK registration for form and further details
The deadline for registration is 18th April 2008.
Please let us know if you have any special access needs for the event
Time and Place:
From 9.30 come and have coffee, tea and breakfast snacks whilst you register & pick up your event pack. Cafe Barista, next to the event room, will be open from 8.30 if you’re an early bird.
FSUK takes place in room ATB/057, The Seebohm Rountree Building, Alcuin. Follow the signs from the University Library.
PLEASE NOTE: As the event takes place during term time, it is very unlikely that there will be any available parking places for those driving to the event. We suggest you park at one of the many park and rides and take a bus or cab from there. You will need to get a bus into York city centre and another bus (number 4) from there.
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