CONFERENCE CALL
MELUS-India
The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United
States (India Chapter)
International Conference on
SCENE, SPACE, SCENARIO: CONTEXTS OF MULTI-ETHNIC LITERATURES IN THE AMERICAS
To be held in Hyderabad, January 3-5, 2004
The January 2004 International Conference would focus on the text as a
representation of ideological currents prevalent in culture and environment.
Taking a given text as a narrative production and a 'socially symbolic act,'
an attempt will be made to analyze the subtle ways in which ideology
operates, exploring the margins at which disciplinary discourses break down
and enter the world of political agency. An ideological reading of
marginalized texts involves a process of meaning-creation as a
socio-historical and trans-individual process. One particular way of
interpreting ideology is by examining how culture links social action with
fundamental beliefs, a collective identity with the course of history.
Participants would debate on the text as the product of a cultural given, on
the relationship between a creative work and its context, and on the
shifting power configurations between the center and the margins. This
would involve taking into consideration the politics behind the empowerment
of certain texts, the logic of canon-formation and the porous boundaries
between the elite and the popular, the high and the low.
The Conference will encourage particular focus on texts as reflecting
ideology. Participants may take a multi-ethnic text and place it in the
context of society, gender, class and race, and specifically explore the
manner narratives are embedded in political discourse and bespeak a
multi-disciplinarity. Ideological readings of multi-ethnic texts and their
limits with the production of meaning will be particularly welcome. The
attempt is to use multi-ethnic literatures of the Americas (not simply of
the U.S.) to discern deep structures of thought and belief in the
socio-cultural framework. This would involve an engagement with the center
and the canonical texts of the mainstream and an interrogation of
multi-ethnic texts which are canonized. Why are certain texts or traditions
more powerful than others? From our Indian perspectives we should encourage
comparatist perspectives of Asian/Indian texts with other multi-cultural
productions.
Finally, questions may be asked as to how the study of multi-ethnic
literatures of the Americas is relevant for us in India.
The Conference would debate on the text as the product of a cultural given,
on the relationship between a creative work and its context, and on the
shifting power configurations between the center and the margins. This
would involve taking into consideration the politics behind the empowerment
of certain texts, the logic of canon-formation, and the porous boundaries
between the elite and the popular, the high and the low.
Panel discussions would, tentatively, focus on the following themes:
1. Theories of Discourse
2. The Classical, the Canonized, and the Ignored
3. Questions of Gender, class, race, ethnicity
4. Film, Television and Media Representations
5. Problems of Otherness and Empowerment
6. Re-defining Boundaries in Art
7. Mass and Popular Culture, the elite and the popular, the high and the
low
8. Representations on the Stage - Dramatic, Theatrical and Real
9. Questions of relevance
10. The nation and its fragments
Interested participants may send in 200-word abstracts to Manju Jaidka,
Secretary, MELUS-India, at vjaidka@sancharnet.in
E-mail submissions are encouraged. However, do not send any attachments.
Let the abstract come as part of the text message.
Participants whose abstracts are accepted would be required to send in
complete papers by the given deadline.
Membership of MELUS-India is essential for all participants. All
participants would have to pay a delegate fee which will take care of their
boarding and lodging arrangements.
Deadlines:
Last date for receipt of abstracts: July 1, 2003
Acceptance letters will be mailed by July 31.
Last date for submission of complete papers: October 31, 2003
[NOTE: these deadlines are NOT flexible. Late entries will not be
considered. Participation would be confirmed only on receipt of full
papers. ]
All prospective participants from India should send the following
information with their abstracts:
1. Name of Delegate
2. Place of residence (from which he/she would travel to Hyderabad for the
conference)
3. Estimated cost of travel
An attempt will be made to obtain travel funding for those delegates whose
abstracts and papers are received in time. Senior and middle-level scholars
may indicate IInd class AC sleeper, and the others may give an estimate of
IInd class ordinary sleeper.
Delegates from Abroad would need to find their own funding sources.
For any other clarification please e-mail vjaidka@sancharnet.in
MELUS-India
Current Office bearers:
President: Prof M G Ramanan <mohan1949@rediffmail.com>
Vice-President:Dr RK Dhawan <rkdhawan@vsnl.net>
Secretary: Prof Manju Jaidka <vjaidka@sancharnet.in>
Jt. Secretary: Dr Varghese John <jyothijohn@eth.net>
Treasurer: Prof Anil Raina anilraina@glide.net.in
Executive members:
Dr Eami Mathew <rosh_josh@yahoo.com>
Ms Riju Gopal <macavity73@yahoo.com>
Prof Sachidananda Mohanty <sachimohanty@yahoo.co.in>
Dr Somdatta Mandal <smandal@cal2.vsnl.net.in>
Dr Suman Bala <balasuman@yahoo.com>
Patrons:
Prof Isaac Sequeira <isaac05@rediffmail.com>
Prof E Nageswara Rao <swapnae@eth.net>
Prof ML Raina <mdraina@rediffmail.com>
International Advisory Committee:
Prof Amritjit Singh <asingh@ric.edu>
Prof Cheng Lok Chua <chengc@csufresno.edu>
Prof Mukesh Williams <mukeshwilliams@hotmail.com>
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or write Erika Lin: elin@english.upenn.edu
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