(Ab)uses of the body in culture

Every culture naturalises a certain view of the human body
to make it carry social meanings. … Body symbolism is
always in service to social intentions, and the body cannot
be endowed with universal meanings.
Mary Douglas. Natural Symbols: Explorations in Cosmology.
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Interfaculty Students’ Research Group “GENDER” at Nicolaus Copernicus University in
Toruń and Amicus Universitatis Nicolai Copernici Foundation
invite you to the interdisciplinary academic conference
(Ab)uses of the body in culture
that will be held in Toruń on 27th and 28th of May 2010.
Our invitation is mainly directed to MA and PhD students of humanities, social studies and
artistic faculties.
Encouraged by the success of the last year’s sessions, once again we would like to
concentrate on different aspects of corporeality and the body, expanding the range of areas
for discussion. We remain open to suggestions of your own topics.
Proposed issues:
 The suffering and the ill body;
 The deformed body;
 Body and language: the body of language and the language of body in literature, films
and visual arts;
 Body and discipline;
 Medicalisation of the body;
 Body modifications: scarring, tattooing and self-mutilation;
 The excluded and the rejected body;
 Body and religion: rituals, purity, and dirt;
 The body as the mirror of culture: the question of naturalness;
 Body and philosophy: cognitive dualism and its consequences;
 Corporeality and identity;
 The body and the city, the body and the countryside;
 Representations of the body in popular culture;
 The colours of the body.
Papers can be delivered in Polish or in English. Organisers reserve the right to choose among
the sent proposals of abstracts/essays.
All participants will have to pay the conference fee.
The conference fee for the guests from Poland is 100 PLN and includes two lunches and
conference materials. The participants will have to cover the travel expenses and the costs
of accommodation by themselves.
The conference fee for the guests representing foreign universities and institutions is 250
PLN and includes accommodation and food. The participants from abroad will have to cover
the travel expenses by themselves
Please, send the application form available at
http://www.gender.umk.pl/index.php/konferencja together with an abstract (approx. 150-
250 words) via e-mail till 25th April 2010 to: nad.uzycia.ciala@gmail.com. The form cannot
exceed the limit of single A4 page.
Notes of acceptance will be sent till 2nd May 2010.
We are planning to publish the conference proceedings.
Academic coordinators:
prof. dr hab. Tadeusz Rachwał
dr Katarzyna Więckowska

Comments

[Architecture]

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