10th European Feminist Research Conference, 12.-15. September 2018

Networking/ Solidarising/ Bridging

Koordinator*innen

  • Betül Yarar, University of Bremen, Germany, betyarar[at]gmail.com
  • Pia Laskar, The Royal Armoury Museum and the Swedish History Museum, Stockholm, Sweden, Pia.Laskar[at]shm.se
  • Christine Klapeer, University of Göttingen, Germany, christine.klapeer[at]uni-goettingen.de
  • Sabine Hess, University of Göttingen, Germany, shess[at]uni-goettingen.de

    • This stream deals with the rich genealogies of feminist and queer activist and scholarly work on collective action and (transnational) organizing to (re)consider historical and contemporary challenges and manifestations of networking, solidarising and bridging. While new forms of solidarity, coalition building and networking seem to be much needed due to the contemporary political and economic climate and the mechanisms of current gender regimes, solidarity and unity are, however one of the most debated topics within feminist and queer movements and research. Feminists of Color, lesbian, queer and trans* people, women and queers with disabilities, working class and activists outside the western centers have confronted various practices and epistemologies of exclusion and marginalization "in the name" of sisterhood, solidarity and unity. Decolonial scholars have particulararly emphasised that perspectives on solidarity, priorities and organising differs due to geopolitical differences and whether or not we live under authoritarian regimes, welfare states, or neoliberal, and/or illiberal ones. At a time when feminist and queer agendas have become instrumentalised and co-opted in order to push divisive and harmful agendas along racialised, national and classed lines, it is of uttermost importance to discuss possibilities and contestations of (transnational) feminist and queer solidarities networking.

    The stream welcomes contributions from different disciplines and encourages diversity in feminist/gender/queer approaches.

    Possible paper topics include (but are not limited to):
  • Theoretical discussions of the (im)possibilities and challenges of feminist and queer solidarity and coalition building in homonationalist/femonationalist times.
  • Empirical case studies of (transnational) feminist and queer networking, bridging and (attempts to, strategies of) solidarity in action in an unequal world/under unequal conditions.
  • Intersectional reflections on conflict, friction and barriers to (transnational) collective work and organizing with regard to inequalities, asymmetries and practices of othering related to racism, classism, ableisms, sexism, homo-, trans* and interphobia,
  • The re-appearance and prevalence of questions of (legitimate) identity, community, "sisterhood", commonness.
  • Cultural and symbolic manifestations and representations of networking, solidarising and bridiging (e.g. in literature and art, through symboles or spectacles).
  • The effects and implications of a professionalisation in (transnational) feminist and queer networking (e.g. in NGOs, state politics or supra- and international institutions such as the World Bank, IMF).
  • Comparison of current instances of solidarity and networking and different (theoretical, ethical, political) conceptualisations and of historical dittos.


  • 1. Remembering/Representing/Signifying
  • 2. Destructing/Reconciling/Transforming
  • 3. Teaching/Learning/Facilitating
  • 4. Legislating/Politicising/Institutionalising
  • 5. Networking/Solidarising/Bridging
  • 6. Playing/Watching/Observing
  • 7. Embodying/Performing/Affecting
  • 8. Investigating/Analysing/Measuring
  • 9. Healing/Coping/Caring
  • 10. Believing/Moralising/Reasoning
  • 11. Working/Struggling/Organizing


    • Zurück zu: Übersicht Call for Papers