Call for papers

Aerial tidal creek patterns

The submission deadline has now passed.

As a result of the intensification of overlapping, interpenetrating and mixing of cultures and peoples in everyday life in Australia – its public culture has become increasingly re-imagined through intense conversations and inter-epistemic dialogue and debate, activating the possibilities of an emerging cosmopolitan society. This, however, continues to be challenged at the same time by recurrent racism, misogyny, homophobia and ecophobia produced in the public sphere. To re-imagine Australia thus demands new ways of thinking and understanding what is required to go beyond Australia’s ambivalence, among other things, towards Asia and, importantly, refusal to adequately accept Aboriginal sovereignty or ontological belonging. The purpose of this conference is to understand, document, invoke, listen to, learn about and enquire into the conversations, discussions, histories, stories and creative production that have happened and are happening that help or hinder a re-imagining of Australia, one that is conscious of the limitations of Enlightenment thinking and therefore framed through questions of cultural encounter, social and political recognition and responsibility. The conference will showcase research about how Australia is being re-imagined through interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches that are critical, creative and artistic.

For the first time, the International Association of Australian Studies conference will take place in Western Australia (WA), following on the zeitgeist of Griffith Review’s ‘Looking West’ (2014), the end of the mining boom and vigorous national protests against the closure of remote Aboriginal communities based on a racial and cultural politics of ‘lifestyle’ that bear the hallmarks of European Enlightenment triumph. WA offers a rich context to explore the creative, cultural and critical dynamics of Australian society. Its proximity to the Indian Ocean, to Indonesia, Southeast Asia, India, China and Africa make WA an ideal place from which to look at Australia, as well as a place to understand how others see it.

The conference encourages postgraduates, early career and senior scholars to present new and innovative work cognate to our theme. The conference also encourages the participation of postgraduate, junior and senior scholars from Australian Studies and other relevant Centres throughout the world.

We have welcomed the submission of abstracts from the following disciplines and fields:

  • African Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Asian Studies
  • Australian Studies
  • Creative Arts
  • Creative Writing
  • Critical Disability Studies
  • Critical Race and Whiteness Studies
  • Cultural Studies
  • Ethnography
  • Environmental Studies
  • Gender and Sexuality
  • Heritage
  • History
  • Human rights
  • Indian Ocean Studies
  • Indigenous Studies
  • Literature
  • Media and Film Studies
  • Multicultural Studies
  • Performance studies
  • Postcolonial Studies
  • Settler Colonial Studies
  • Sociology

Submission guidelines

Individual Papers
Individual paper presentations are 20 mins long.

Collaborative Panels
Panel proposals are also welcome. Panels need to include 3-4 papers. In addition to submitting a 250 word abstract for each presenter, please submit an abstract (100 words) and a title (15 words max.) for the panel as a whole. Please indicate lead panel contact person.

Format

  • Times New Roman 12 in Word.
  • Title: Italics, centre alignment Next line with double space
  • Name/s: Bold centre alignment Next Line with single space Institution, where applicable, bold centre alignment
  • Next Line with single space Email/s, bold centre alignment
  • Next line with double space. 250 word abstract. No indenting for paragraphs. Leave a single space between paragraphs. Full Justification.
  • Bio note: Please include a short bio note at the end of each abstract for the speaker/s concerned.