Skia
Contesting ‘British Chinese’ Culture: Forms, Histories, Identities
Department of Film, Theatre & Television, University of
Reading
24 – 25 September 2011
Call for Papers
Deadline: 30th January 2011
Times
SkiaHow
can the homogeneity of ‘British Chinese’ culture be challenged to
reflect the diversity of experiences in the UK diaspora? Who plays a
part in constructing these strands of culture? For whom are they
constructed?
At present, the identity category ‘British Chinese’ is commonly
conceived of as a category only for British-born Chinese, with migrant
generations, who are nonetheless resident in Britain, regarded as
‘Chinese’. Yet, the assertion of these identity categories as
homogeneous glosses over a myriad of individual experiences and
histories. As Benton and Gomez assert in their important historical
study of the Chinese in Britain, there is “an absence of community
among the Chinese in Britain of the sort bonded by ethnic identity.
[…] Instead, the community is heterogeneous and individual identities
are increasingly hybridised” (Benton and Gomez, 2008:4).
Questions are raised as to how the above identity categories are
endorsed or challenged through different cultural practices. How are
group identities contested to reflect the plurality of individual
experiences and histories? What role does culture play in this? How do
practitioners engage with notions of the individual and the communal?
Are these positions reconcilable? Do ethno-national discourses in fact
have any relevance to, or impact upon, the making of work?
This timely conference seeks to bring together academics and
practitioners from any discipline for the first time to engage in a
dialogue about the multiple definitions of ‘Chinese culture in
Britain’. Papers that engage with the following issues would be
particularly welcome:
Symbol• SkiaWhat
is the difference between culture labelled ‘British Chinese’ and
‘Chinese in Britain’? How are these positions defined and contested?
Are they connected?
Symbol• SkiaWho
purports to represent ‘Chinese’ experiences in Britain? And through
which institutions?
Symbol• SkiaWhat
trans-ethnic connections are made across cultural forms? What is the
role of non-ethnically Chinese in constructing ‘British Chinese’
culture, or ‘Chinese culture in Britain’?
Symbol• SkiaTo
what extent do practitioners engage with evoking notions of
‘Britishness’, and ‘Chineseness’ as well as other ethnic, national,
transnational, regional and local identities and affiliations, and for
what purpose?
Symbol• SkiaTo
what extent do other aspects of personal or social identity intersect
with or take precedence over ethnic/national affiliations?
Symbol• SkiaWhat
are the histories of ‘British Chinese’ culture / ‘Chinese culture in
Britain’ in the last 100 years?
Symbol• SkiaHow
is ‘Chinese’ culture in Britain connected to cultural developments
outside of Britain?
It is anticipated that selected proceeds from the conference will be
published in an edited collection, as well as journal special
editions. Details to follow.
Please send individual abstracts of 500 words, or panel proposals
(three abstracts, plus panel rationale of 500 words) to: Dr. Ashley
Thorpe, Lecturer in Theatre, Film, Theatre & Television, University of
Reading
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and Dr. Diana Yeh, Sociological Review Fellow, Keele University
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