In Partnership with St. Lawrence University Institute and Faculty of Arts, University of Buea, the Cameroon English Language and Literature Association announces the
UNIVERSITY OF BUEA
THEME: “Gender, Sexualities and Eco-Feminist Perspectives in Language, Literature and Culture”
The twenty-first
century is lauded for the strides in progress that have encouraged the rights
of individuals to flourish and succeed regardless of gender, creed, or race.
Yet issues of disparity still abound relating to gender constructions and
sexual orientations especially against the backdrop of ecological crisis that
are plaguing the world. The myriad of challenges which include issues of gender
representation, sexual orientation, climate and/or environmental challenges,
and cultural difference have become topical within scholarly circles.
Environmental discourses penetrate behaviours about the past, presentations of
the present and perceptions of the future and are closely tied to the ways in
which Afrocentric environmental ideals relate to the feminine. The convergences
of feminist viewpoints are evident in the interchangeable exploration and integration
of the ecological, environmental, poststructuralist, psychoanalytical,
materialist and post colonial in the advancement of discourses on feminism. Within
the ever-expanding matrix, post colonial feminist find new avenues of expression
in the perspective of women previously perceived as subaltern as they negotiate
new frontiers of parity.
Ecolinguistics
questions how language and literature promote ecocritical thinking in the
face of an invasive global culture that anchors on anthropocentricism and
capitalism. As Arran Stibbe opines regarding the global environmental crises, “there are increasing calls to go beyond attempts to address
isolated symptoms with technical solutions and instead consider the deeper
social and cultural causes of the problems we face” (Ecolinguistics, 11). The stories-we-live-by are cognitive structures,
mental models which influence how people think, talk and act. The socio-cultural
norms represent the vehicle through which aspects of gender, sexuality and
ecological ideals are conceived and transmitted across generations.
This conference seeks to open debates on contemporary discourses on the blurred lines relating to gender, sexuality and ecology and encourage the interrogation of the issues from diverse theoretical lenses. Areas of interest include but are not limited to:
- Cultural orientations on gender, sexuality, and ecology
- The ‘new’ pronouns in gender
- Construction of gender and sexual identities in the 21st century
- Narratives of the transformation of sexuality, gender theories
- Theorizing gender and sexuality in contemporary literature and linguistics
- Gender roles construction within the Cameroonian society
- Social and ecological justice in contemporary literature
- Gender, sexuality, and technology
- Woman, nature and power constructs in language, literature, and art.
- Social media, gender construction and representation
- Gender, sexuality, and mental health
- Gender, sexuality, and society
- Sociology of gender and sexuality
- Gender, sexuality, and political participation
- Gender and sexuality in religion and media studies
- LGBTQ articulations in language and literature
- Breaking the glass ceiling
Proposals for 15 minutes presentations and 1 hour plenary sessions are welcomed. Abstracts of 250 words in MS Word format (Times New Roman, font size 12) should be submitted to info@cella-cameroon.org. Send inquiries via email to info@cella-cameroon.org or call 237677194455 / 237677123000.
MAJOR ACTIVITIES
Keynote Addresses
KITAL 2022 Lectures
Expose on the progress of CELLA
Closing ceremony
PARTICIPATION
FEE
International Research scholars: $100.00
CONFERENCE ACCOMODATION
Conference participants will enjoy reduced accommodation costs at comfortable hotels or
guest houses.
IMPORTANT DATES
Deadline for submission of abstracts: 18th October 2022
Notification of selected abstracts and invitation letters: 28th October 2022
Conference registration deadline: 2nd November 2022
Conference date: 4th & 5th November 2022
HOST AND ORGANIZING COMITTEE
Professor Charles N. Teke, Acting Dean - Faculty of Arts, University of Buea (Host)Assoc. Prof. Eunice F. Fondze-Fombele, University of Buea
Mary Louisa Lum, Ph.D, University of Douala
Oscar C. Labang, Ph.D, St. Lawrence University Institute
David T. Kusi, Ph.D, University of Bamenda
Jude T. Berinyuy, Ph.D, ENS, University of Bertoua
Divine Njong, Ph.D, ENS, University of Bertoua
Modest Nuel C. Ambe, Ph.D, St. Lawrence University Institute
Nkanu Mazou, Ph.D Fellow, University of Yaounde 1
Emmanuel N. Yimbu, Ph.D, University of Buea