Call for Papers
“*Gender and Ethnonationalism: A New Era of Reproductive Choices and
Constraints*?”
*Münster, 27.-29.6.2019*
Conveners: Isabel Heinemann, Verena Limper, Mrinal Pande
Alexandra Minna Stern, University of Michigan

*Application period extended until 31 January*
Although in many “Western” and Central European States ultra-nationalist
movements seem to be on the rise, there is limited historical research on
their ideological and cultural appeal. Initial explorations suggest that
their reliance on conceptions of tradi-tional family, “homelands” and
“human biodiversity” are key. To advance scholarly research as well as
inform political understandings, we will host an international and
interdisciplinary workshop at the University of Muenster, Germany. Focusing
on gender norms, women’s roles and concepts of reproductive decision-making
espoused by these movements on their websites, in their media ventures, and
in their publications, we will explore the objectification of women in
these otherwise predominantly male organizations, examine the complexities
of women’s agency, and discuss the effects of rising ethnonationalism on
gender policies at large. To contribute to understanding the implications
of “alt-right,” “ultra-nationalist” and “ethno-nationalist” movements
across Europe and the US, we seek to bring together an interdisciplinary
group of his-torians, cultural anthropologists, and social scientists for
an international workshop.
Conceived in the framework of the Collaborative Research Center of the
German Sci-ence Foundation 1150 “Cultures of Decision-Making” and its
Project A 05 (“Reproduc-tive Decision-Making in Germany and the US”) at the
University of Münster, the work-shop will focus on the themes of gender,
family, reproduction, and processes of decision-making and narrative
construction within these movements. More specifically, we ask:
1) How are narratives of conversion to alt-right, ethnonational and
identitarian movements framed in terms of conscious decision-making or, to
the contrary, as inevitable developments of exposure to the “truth” of the
destructiveness of feminism, liberalism, and globalism (i.e., being
“red-pilled”)?
2) Which ideas of gender, the family (“#tradfam”) and morality (ban on
non-reproductive sex) are communicated and which roles do women play in
these movements? Given that the online dimensions of these movements are
very misogynistic, how does that effect women’s participation and
visibility?
3) How do alt-right and ultra-nationalist movements appropriate concepts of
time to claim the present (“books against time”, “the future is the past”)
and to what extent are they doing something new or merely reinvigorating
older no-tions of racism and essentialism? How do conceptions of gender fit
into ultra-nationalist idealization of the future?
4) What are the intellectual roots (if any) of ultra-nationalists and who
are primary thinkers and schools of thought? Are there major transnational
intellectual appropriations
of theories and “pre-thinkers” tangible in new right discourses and
concepts? (i.e. this might include the French New Right, German race
science, and even leftist intellectual traditions). How are such ideas
expressed differently in distinct national and cultural contexts,
particularly with regard to immigration and race? What are gendered
dimensions of this intellectual lineage?
By combining our experience in investigating “cultures of decision-making”
with the insights of our international and interdisciplinary collaborative
partners, we hope to shed new light on one of the most disturbing
international phenomena of the present day. Specifically, we hope to
clarify how the re-branding of nationalism might be changing gender
politics all over Europe and the US. Also, we strive to find out whether
alt-right nationalism helps to put forward discursive and factual strains
that might challenge and ultimately change the arrangements of reproductive
decision-making (knowledge, family planning and contraception, legal
abortion, women’s agency) still prevalent in most liberal modern societies.
Due to the international scope of the workshop, we strongly encourage
presentations that focus on Scandinavia and Southern Europe as well as
those dealing with countries commonly included in the “global south”. Also,
we invite presentations from different academic disciplines such as
contemporary history, sociology, gender theory, cultural anthropology,
cultural studies.
Travel costs and accommodation will be covered by the University of Münster.

To publish our results and to spark scholarly discussions on the topic, we
are currently applying to edit a special issue of the prestigious “Journal
of Contemporary History” based on the outcome of the conference.
www.uni-muenster.de/Geschichte/en/histsem/NwG-ZG/index.html
Please send a short abstract of your intended presentation (1 page, 300
words max) and a short biographical sketch to
[log in to unmask]  until January 31, 2019. Successful
applicants will be informed by Febuary 15, 2019.

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