01/06/2026
Contemporary gender studies teach us how to combine different approaches, methodologies and practices to understand the relations of power, inequality, and oppression framing gender and sexuality, especially in societies that are socio-culturally divided and polarized. In the face of the rise of right-wing populist movements, of anti-feminist and anti-queer backlashes, these issues are taking on a new relevance as we see new policies of control over bodies, borders and territories, attacks on rights, the delegitimation of social justice demands, and erasure from the cultural and social field.
What are the responses that can be advanced in this situation from a distinctly feminist, queer and intersectional point of view? What does a feminist/queer social and political agenda look like at a time of growing inequalities, migration crisis, environmental crisis, a general backlash against sexual and reproductive rights, and the anti-gender movements? What are the new fronts of struggle that feminist/queer knowledge has to face, and what methods are more appropriate to confront them in Türkiye and abroad?
A wide range of research topics and methodologies can be addressed under the broad theme of contemporary gender studies. We invite contributions from any discipline and are open to a diverse array of feminist, intersectional, gender and queer approaches. We welcome studies that focus on Türkiye and/or offer comparative insights that help contextualize its political and social dynamics.
Possible topics:
- Feminist and queer struggles, activisms, and social movements
- Politics of affect, emotion, feeling, and mood
- Politics, governance and institutions
- Religion, (ethno)nationalism, populism
- Peace, conflict and war
- Social and political polarization
- Work and labor
- Care, demography, aging
- The politics of reproduction and social reproduction
- Technology, digitalization
- Violence
- Cities and urban places
- Agriculture and rural spaces
- Migration and mobilities
- Disasters, risks and resilience
- Ecology, climate change and environmental struggles
- Men and masculinities
- Health, wellbeing, healing and care
- Quality of life and aging well
- Art, literature, representation, popular culture and digital technologies
- Queer spaces and cultures
- Embodiment and the politics of the body
- Feminist/queer epistemologies and methodologies, pedagogies
- Psychological and cognitive perspectives on gender, identity, and social experience
We accept paper abstracts and preference will be given to submissions presenting work that is already completed or expected to be completed by the time of presentation.
We will also accept a limited number of workshop proposals related to the conference themes. Workshops should be interactive and engage with methodological approaches, conceptual issues and debates, or field-based practices.
Please send the following proposals to genderconf@sabanciuniv.edu
- Abstract (max. 250 words, in English or Turkish - depending on your choice of presentation)
- Workshop (Please fill the workshop proposal form here)
- Short biography
The deadline for submission is August 10, 2026.
Authors of accepted papers and workshops will be notified on October 13, 2026.
For more information, please visit: https://genderconference.sabanciuniv.edu/
Please contact us at genderconf@sabanciuniv.edu for questions and inquiries.
