PILAS Annual Conference 2017. «Discontinuities and Resistance in Latin America»

Latin America is one of the world regions in which borders are malleable or fragile, yet resistant. As its nations seek to establish and assert themselves on a continental and global stage, challenging, and being challenged by, outside influences, historical, political, geographic and economic fault lines often appear to check progress and modernization. One only has to think of Brazil, which recently hosted a truly global mega-event, with its citizens being keen to present their best face to a watching world after years of economic progress. However, this center stage international performance threatened to be undermined by the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff and worries over the Zika virus. This multidisciplinary conference seeks to explore the discontinuities and resistance in Latin America from a critical perspective.

The Postgraduates in Latin American Studies (PILAS) Committee invites postgraduate researchers and junior academics from the arts, humanities and social sciences fields to present their work, engage in debate, and share their research on Latin America.

The Conference is free to attend and will include keynote speakers, a masterclass and engaging social activities.
A roundtable discussion held by the Network for Hispanic and Lusophone Cultural Studies will be attended by Dr Thea Pitman (contemporary Latin American cultural production, especially digital culture), Professor Stephanie Dennison (Brazilian film culture and the broader context of World Cinema), Professor Richard Cleminson (Labour movements, medicine and sexuality in Argentina), Dr Paul Melo e Castro (Lusophone literature, film and visual culture), and Dr Rebecca Jarman (eco-catastrophe and protest in contemporary Latin American film and literature).

The theme of the conference is «Discontinuities and Resistance in Latin America».
 

We welcome proposals from all fields for this interdisciplinary event. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

1. Race, Ethnicity, and Religion.


2. Gender and Sexuality.


3. Political Activism, Conflict, and Violence.


4. Nationhood and National Identities.


5. Migration, Geographical and Cultural Borders Studies.


6. Inter-Cultural Dialogue and Polemics.


7. Literary and Cultural Criticism.


8. Literature, Culture, and Translation.


9. Economic Policies and Economic Inequalities.


10. Communication and (Digital) Media.


11. Climate Change and Environmental Crisis.

PILAS offers a limited number of accommodation grants for accepted delegates attending our Annual Conference 2017. Single ensuite rooms for 3 nights and breakfast will be provided by PILAS Committee at Storm Jameson Court, University of Leeds.