Inter-disciplining the Body

From fine art, theatre, and literature to communication, biology, and physics, different discursive practices construct ideas about the body in dynamic and provocative ways. While resisting the naturalist urge to impose a “common language” on specific practices, the possibility of finding spaces of convergence amongst a variety of disciplines and approaches remains a goal for any scholar interested in interdisciplinary research. The conference invites academics from the humanities, fine artists, natural scientists, performers, social scientists, and anyone else interested in exploring the body in all of its complexities, uncovering disciplinary assumptions that might inhibit scholarship, and looking for places where these discourses can inform each other.

Possible topics include, but not limited to:
• Interdisciplined and Punished
• Literary Bodies
• The Construction of the Body through Media
• The Aesthetics of Body Modification
• Humans, Cyborgs, and Robots, oh my!
• The Body in Nature and the ‘Nature’ of Bodies
• The ‘Plastic’ Arts: Plastic Surgery and the Reconstruction of the Body
• Genetics: The Reduction of the Body
• Health Care and Practices
• The Aging Body
• Bodies in Communities

Please submit a 250-300 word abstract or proposal, CV, and contact information via email by <b>January 21, 2006</b> to: interdisciplines@fsu.edu

Original Research:
May be from any academic discipline that approaches the “body” through multiple perspectives, or at least leaves room for such an interpretation to occur. Please submit a 250-300 word abstract (.doc or .rtf format) and include any multi-media needs. Panels could potentially be comprised of both research work and creative projects, as this conference desires to integrate knowledge in innovative and thought-provoking ways. Submit individually or as a panel.

Artwork or Performance Proposals:
When submitting a visual artwork, digital artwork or film, send a digital image, slide, or videotape/DVD documenting the piece. Slides, etc. will NOT be returned. Please include dimensions, materials, and date and, if applicable, the running time of any time-based media. Proposals of this type should include a brief (250 – 300 words) explanation on how it fits in with a particular theme concerning the body.