Possibly of interest to AWMS delegates and attendees:
FEMINIST MEDIA STUDIES SPECIAL ISSUE
From Veiling to Blogging: Women and Media in the Middle East
Edited by Nahed Eltantawy
Vol. 13, No.5, November 2013
Middle Eastern women have traditionally been viewed as weak and submissive, passively accepting male authority and leadership rather than seeking leadership for themselves. From Edward Said’s Orientalism to Lila Abu-Lughod’s “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving?” women of the Middle East have been portrayed as helpless creatures who are often hidden behind the veil, quietly waiting to be liberated.
Recent democratic movements in the Middle East, popularly grouped together under the banner of the “Arab Spring,” signal the rise of a new kind of political activism across the region, made possible, in large part, by the now widespread use of social media. The world has witnessed millions across Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Yemen and Syria as they have marched to the squares and told their stories of life under repressive political regimes. How have women been involved in these events? What are their experiences and stories? In addition to the more widely known stories of political demonstrations in the region, there have also been more localized events, such as the women-led driving protests in Saudi Arabia, that suggest that there are many stories still to be told to unveil the realities of women’s experiences in the Middle East. In what ways have women utilized media, including social media such as Twitter, Facebook and blogging, for both personal and political expression and have these platforms contributed to the democratization of women’s lives?
This special issue seeks manuscripts that focus on Middle East women and their relationship with the media old and new – how women are portrayed, how and why women utilize media and technology, and women’s media production.
Topics of interest in relation to Middle East women and the media include but are not limited to:
Ÿ Media portrayals of women
Ÿ Women’s use of social media
Ÿ Women’s utilization of media to promote the “Arab Spring” revolutions
Ÿ Women and cyberactivism
Ÿ Women’s use of media (old and new) for self expression and identification
Ÿ Women’s utilization of media for empowerment
Ÿ Women’s media production
Please submit a 350-word abstract to Dr Nahed Eltantawy at: neltanta@highpoint.edu by no later than May 1, 2012.
For more information and the full CFP, please refer to the Feminist Media Studies website: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/rfms
Arab Women, Media, and Sexuality Conference 