2022 Dress and Body Association Conference

The Beginner’s Mind:
Asking and Telling About Dress Studies

November 5-6, 2022

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Dress and Body Association invites submissions for the organization’s third annual conference, which will be held on November 5-6, 2022. Consistent with our long-term goals for inclusivity and sustainability, all activities will be 100% online, including keynote speaker(s), research presentations, and opportunities for virtual networking. Visit the DBA website to learn more about this new organization: dress-body-association.org.

The Beginner’s Mind: Asking and Telling About Dress Studies

Dress studies is an interdisciplinary field that intersects with many others, including (but definitely not limited to) area studies, gender and sexuality, sociology, art history, media studies, theater, philosophy, design, fashion studies, and anthropology. We welcome presentations about any aspect of dress and/or the body that are drawn from ongoing research, teaching, artistic, and/or activist ventures, however this year we are asking presenters to use a little of their time to reflect on their engagement with dress studies.

If you’re new to this field…

What questions do you have?

How did you first encounter dress studies?

How is dress and/or the body viewed within your discipline?

What/how can your discipline contribute to scholarship on dress and/or the body?

If you’re not new to dress studies…

How did you first get involved?

Is there anything you wish you had known earlier?

What have been some of the key texts/theories/methods for you? How have they guided/influenced your work?

Where would you locate the untapped potentials/opportunities of dress studies as an inherently interdisciplinary field of study?

Submissions will be accepted from any discipline as long as the topic relates to this broad theme. Both beginning and advanced scholars are welcome. Abstracts should be 200-300 words. Presenters do not need to submit a paper before the conference, but should plan to speak for up to 30 minutes with time for discussion at the end of each panel.

Although we welcome scholars from any country, the language of the conference will be English. We will consider a panel in another language if there is sufficient interest from a group of scholars. Abstracts must be written in English and should be drawn from original research; we ask that presenters not simply recycle lectures from other conferences. The DBA welcomes creative approaches and non-traditional presentations.

For best consideration, please submit your abstract by August 1, 2022. All submissions will be read by at least two reviewers in a single-blind review process. Authors can expect to receive notification of acceptance within 2 to 3 weeks after the deadline.

Registration through the DBA website will be required for access to the online platform. Donations are welcome, but not required to participate. The recommended donation is 20 USD for students and early-career scholars, 50 USD for mid-career and senior scholars.

To submit an abstract: dress-body-association.org/abstracts

To register for the conference: dress-body-association.org/conference-registration

Mission Statement of the Dress and Body Association
“Dress” is a highly inclusive concept that includes all varieties of body supplements and body modifications* found in human cultures around the world. It is not limited to clothing, costume, or fashion or to any particular time, place, or economic structure. The mission of the Dress and Body Association (DBA) is to bring together scholars from diverse disciplines and areas of the world to share academic research about dress and body practices understood broadly, to offer quality opportunities for networking, and to forge links with like-minded individuals and organizations.

The Dress and Body Association is based entirely online, an essential structure for
1) Flexibility: In-person conferences are cumbersome and expensive to plan, which makes them difficult to change or adapt to new circumstances.
2) Accessibility: Travel is expensive and time-consuming. Many scholars cannot afford to travel. Even scholars with funding may have restrictions due to caretaking responsibilities, health issues, difficulty obtaining a visa, etc.
3) Inclusivity: ‘Dress and the body’ is a subject that pertains to all human cultures, the DBA is committed to including scholars from diverse disciplines and areas of the world.
4) Sustainability: International travel is not only expensive, but harmful to the planet. Online activities reduce consumption and waste.

*Joanne B. Eicher (2000), “Dress,” Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women’s Issues and Knowledge, edited by Cheris Kramarae and Dale Spender, New York, Routledge: 422-423.

The Dress and Body Association is registered as a non-profit organization (501(c)(3)) in the state of Indiana (United States). Donations are tax-deductible.

Dress & Body Association | dress.body.assoc@gmail.com