11th International Women in French Conference
University of Alabama
Precarious Lives/Vie précaires
28-30 March 2024
Theme:
The COVID-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine threatening not only Europe but also shedding new light on other ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, series of climate change-related natural disasters, and attendant economic strain have thrown into relief what many of us were already aware of: the precarity of our own lives and that of those around us, human and nonhuman. However, as in most cases, that precarity is exacerbated by a number of systemic factors that impact us differently based on our position and identity. Women disproportionately left the workforce during the pandemic and many of the reasons driving this exodus were out of their control. Economic strain has been hardest on women of color; women, children, and minority genders make up the majority of refugees, including climate refugees. Despite being the “grande cause du quinquennat” during the first Macron term (and now renewed for the second), feminicide and domestic violence more widely continue to plague France, mirroring what has been happening in the rest of the world. For Women in French 2024 we invite you to consider the ways in which the precarity of women’s lives throughout history has been depicted in French and Francophone literature and culture. What are the factors that exacerbate that precarity? What or who else is vulnerable to these circumstances? In what ways has resilience emerged in response to these pressures? We welcome proposals of individual papers and entire panels on topics related to the overarching theme “Precarious Lives.”
The conference will take place in Tuscaloosa, AL at The University of Alabama March 28-30, 2024. While the organizers envision a largely in-person event, accommodations will be made for a limited amount of colleagues who need to participate remotely.
Possible topics may include but are not limited to:
Migration, immigration, asylum
War and genocide
Environment and ecology
Sexual and domestic violence
Class and economic dependency/independence
Race, sexual orientation, other intersectional identities
Charge mentale
Vulnerability studies
Illness and disability studies
Memory studies
Women and mythology
Exile
Women in second-class citizen status
Natural disasters and survival
Precarity and science fiction
Women and precarious democracies
Women and world order
Early emancipation movements
Transatlantic studies
Women and revolution
Participants may present in English or in French. Please send a 250-300 word abstract and short bio to wif2024@ua.edu by August 31, 2023. Participants will be notified of acceptance by October 31, 2023. Panel proposals should include a short (about 100 word) proposal for each paper and a description of the unifying idea of the panel of the same length, as well as a brief bio of each participant.
One Book, One WiF
In partnership with our colleagues in WiF UK-Ireland, WIF North America is furthering the
'One Book, One WiF' project that began in 2017. The aim of this initiative is to help promote
critical interest in less known French and Francophone women writers and thus to increase
the readership of their corpus. The author for the 2024 conference is Meryem Alaoui and
the text is La Vérité sort de la bouche du cheval (2018). Proposals for papers or a panel on
this book or the author in general are welcomed.
