International Conference on Canadian Studies, Feb 19-20

Painting the Rainbow from Bloor (1) to B’lore (2): Connecting “Cultures of Difference” in Canada and India.

The ambiguity of the concept of culture has baffled human mind for centuries. For some ‘culture’ is an abstraction of social behaviour, whereas for some dance, song, ensemble of stories, objects, fashion, style constitute the basic elements of culture. One of the oldest definitions of culture given by Sir E.B. Tylor in Primitive Culture (1871) is “Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs, and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society”. So from the very onset, human agency, his interaction with the greater society, has shaped the concept of culture. It would be wise to accept that ‘Culture’ as a category has been shaping the various aspects of knowledge production both within the academia and without. It is worthy to note here that the very existence of ‘primitivity’ associated with culture, promises the existence of an evolved version of culture which is different/ superior from the ‘primitive’ or ‘non-culture’. This is a contested terrain. Both Canada and India experienced colonisation and the distinct forms of colonies have shaped the cultural expression of people in both the countries. White settler cultures appropriated the cultural expressions/ ways of life of the first peoples in Canada. This resulted into cultural genocide. On the other hand, immigrants from all across the globe have been shaping the cultural identity of Canada as a nation. The city of Toronto, which represents the essential flavour of Canada, is a gathering place of ‘World Culture’. But factors which define, classify ‘Culture’ (as high/low, popular) in both the countries have never been apolitical. Capitalist mode of production, Imperialism, Systematic cultural invasion had a great impact on defining ‘culture’ in both the countries. There is a definite politics behind cultural representation—who gets represented and who does not. Thus cultural expressions of various groups who are contesting the homogeneous nature of culture , endorsed by Nation building agencies, in both the countries have become trope of negotiation and critical enquiry with time. Various interaction and interfaces of cultures have created hybridized spaces that challenge “pure” cultural forms. The ‘hybridized space’ is also a product of these binaries enforced by Imperial models of cultural productions. Acknowledging the co-existence of multiple cultures within a geopolitical case is one of the key sites where struggle for hegemony takes place and a “equilibrium” is achieved between competing classes. This is also the arena which has experienced the emergence and negotiations of various cultures of resistance.

In recent years, interdisciplinary formations such as cultural studies, ethnic studies, critical gender studies, queer studies, indigenous studies, art theory, anthropology, psychology, linguistics and new media studies have posed challenges and redefined notions of ‘Culture’ in the global context.

We welcome proposals from all areas and on all topics of relevance to the study of culture in the context of Canada and India, including but not limited to literature, history, sociology, geography, politics, anthropology, communications, popular culture, cultural theory, queer studies, ethnic studies, indigenous studies, feminist studies, postcolonial studies, legal studies, science studies, media and film studies, material culture studies, visual art and performance studies.

Papers would need to be focused on any or more of the following sub-themes:

Culture and Imperialism
Towards a Pedagogy of Culture
Negotiating Class, Race, Gender in the social production of ‘Culture’
Global Spaces and Cultural Memories of dislocation/ immigrant narratives
Emergence of Indigenous Methodologies towards understanding ‘Culture’
Fashion, Food and Media as trope of cultural exchanges/migration of tales
Aesthetics of ‘Queering’ culture
Linguistic borders and translation
Text, Context and Intertext in Storytelling and Visual/Performing Arts,Music and the new media
Management of soft skills and cultural sensitivity in a global market

The title and a brief abstract (200-300 words) of the proposed paper may be sent as an email attachment (only Microsoft Word Document, saved in a compatible mode) by January 11th, 2013 to canadacentreju@gmail.com

Contact Persons:
Conference Coordinator: Professor Suchorita Chattopadhyay, Coordinator, Centre for Canadian Studies, Department of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University.
Organizing Committee:
Dr. Debashree Dattaray (Assistant Professor) debashreedattaray@gmail.com
Sm. Swagata Bhattacharya (Senior Research Fellow) sbhat_22@yahoo.co.in
Sri Dheeman Bhattacharyya (Senior Research Fellow) dheemanbhattacharyya@gmail.com

Mailing Address: Department of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India.
Telephone: 033-2414-6690 (2152 Extn.)

Please Note:
The Organizing committee shall not be in a position to provide accommodation or reimburse travel expenses. If abstracts are accepted, we can facilitate the process of getting funds from your institutions by sending invitation letters from the centre.

1. The Main Intersection in the city of Toronto, Canada, which is also the cultural hub of the city.
2. B’lore is the popular way of addressing Bangalore, India. This has been done deliberately. First, it connects both Canada and India. Second, for its onomatopoeic appeal. Third, both the cities represent the changing trope of ‘culture’ and its various manifestations/ negotiation in both the countries.

Centre for Canadian Studies
Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India

International Conference on Canadian Studies
February 19-20, 2013

Painting the Rainbow from Bloor to B’lore: Connecting “Cultures of Difference” in Canada and India.

Contact Persons:
Conference Coordinator: Professor Suchorita Chattopadhyay, Coordinator, Centre for Canadian Studies, Department of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University.
Organizing Committee:
Dr. Debashree Dattaray (Assistant Professor) debashreedattaray@gmail.com
Sm. Swagata Bhattacharya (Senior Research Fellow) sbhat_22@yahoo.co.in
Sri Dheeman Bhattacharyya (Senior Research Fellow) dheemanbhattacharyya@gmail.com

Mailing Address: Department of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India.
Telephone: 033-2414-6690 (2152 Extn.)