"As a woman, I have no country. As a woman my country is the world." - Virginia Woolf

Global and transnational studies have almost become a cliché in contemporary feminist studies. At the same time the popularity of this global lens has increased, many questions about the best ways to approach global feminist activism and scholarship remain contentious. How can we work on gender and sexuality in a global context without reproducing damaging power imbalances? How can we use transnationalism meaningfully in diverse fields (including women's studies itself)? How can we ensure the viability of this framework for the future?

The Pennsylvania State University Women's Studies Graduate Organization invites submissions on gender and sexuality in a global context. In particular we hope to explore the impact of this relatively recent attention to global feminisms on the discipline of women's studies. We seek work that reflects as well as challenges our continuously globalizing discipline.

Our conference is aimed primarily at graduate students working in any field. Submissions from advanced undergraduates and persons outside of the university are also encouraged. In addition to individual papers, we welcome performances, collaborative work, and alternative media presentations. Please indicate the resources necessary to accommodate your work.

We are excited to introduce the keynote speakers/performers at our conference: Robyn Wiegman (Professor of Women's Studies and Literature at Duke) and Slanty Eyed Mama (Hip Hop/Comedy Duo Kate Rigg and Lyris Hung).

300 word abstract due to WSGO.officers@gmail.com by December 15, 2008.

Sample Paper Topics:
- Sex work in comparative perspective
- Intersections of Local and Global Politics of Reproductive Health and Choice
- New approaches to contentious issues such as veiling, fgm, etc.
- Impacts of Western/Hegemonic Masculine, Feminine, and Hetero-normative Discourses
- Migration and Gender Issues
- Investigating theoretical frameworks of global sexuality
- Virtual Connections and Communities
- Consumption in a Global World
- Nationalism
- Translation and Collaboration
- Conflict, War, and Women
- Cosmopolitanism
- Religion and globalization
- Feminism and NGOs
- Situation in the western academy
- Women in the global economy
- LGBT issues in global context
- Feminist activism beyond the nation-state
- The role of "global feminism" in the Women's Studies degree