There have been a couple of really interesting blogs on conferences on the theme of sexuality - and their strengths and weaknesses. QRG writes about a recent 'Pornified' conference. There are some interesting observations but it is limited by the fact QRG didn't actually attend. There are difficulties in interpreting these things - perspectives and gender would have been slightly tweaked by my presence - I was invited to speak at one of these conferences but I've forgotten which - but I couldn't get funding to attend. I suspect the same was true for a few others so it doesn't take much to skew these things. Nonetheless, some interesting comments.
Of greater interest, and perhaps value is a post by Jane Fae on a sexology conference (which I'd also hoped to attend but once again, I find myself in a funding black hole). Fae makes some really interesting observations about disciplines coming together - but this is in part a growing agenda from the funding bodies so it's not entirely 'organic'. Nonetheless, some fascinating broad perspectives about what is going on in the academic discussion and exploration of sexuality.
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Thanks Chris for the mention. You're right I didn't attend and thank goodness - what a load of baloney.
You would not have skewed things by your presence alone. There were only 6 papers on men and masculinities, 4 by men, 2 by women. And my guess is you might not even have presented on masculinity per se. So if you'd have been in the general Sexualisation theme (and there were 2 papers on law there) you would have just been one of a few men presenting on general themes.
I was studying the conference programme which I had in front of me - secondary research is valuable, it's not all about participant observation don't you know!
p.s. what do you think of intersectionality as a concept?
I hate it. Because it decides who are the 'oppressed' groups intersecting and who are the 'oppressors'. And it is always white heterosexual men seen as the oppressors.
I find Fae's work reductive, feminist, and misandrist.
p.s. I will just add that though I didn't attend the Pornified? conference I did interview people who did, and one of them has provided more detailed info about the sessions on my blog. So that's good, no?
I'm assuming you interviewed 'mates'/thsoe friendly thus it's going to be very skewed.
In terms of intersectionality, I find it an interesting idea. I confess I've probably not got fully to grips with it but I have read quite a bit of work around it. Thus far, I'd say interesting but limited.
No Chris I didn't interview 'mates' I put a call-out on twitter under the #pornified hashtag.
I am a social researcher by trade I'm not an 'amateur'.
...in fact if you read my post you'll see one of the interviewees giving me a hard time in the comments, which is a finding in itself.
Hmmm...well i like "intersectionality" - but then, i don't see it as NECESSARILY skewed.
Though i do see how it very frequently is.
As far as i am concerned, its a valuable corrective to the hierarchy of victimhood and could... should... if applied neutrally be a route to recovering some of the anti-male bias that you perceive.
I am guessing...so please tell me if i have this wrong... that you see conferences of this sort as irredeemably anti-men or anti-masculinity? That's a genuine question: not an attempt to foist a view on you; so if i'm wrong, please put me right.
Now i have two perspectives on this, both pre-and post- transition. The pre-transition perspective, which found some echo in what i would call the liberal feminist tendency is that male perspectives tend to be excluded: so there is a big debate about sex, sexuality, sexualisation going on - and it is being conducted mostly with men excluded.
That, i'd suggest, is a bad thing: however, it is the rationale for that exclusion that is of interest.
One thing that used to frustrate me greatly was positive exclusion - and something that quite amuses me now is that i can put views and perspectives that have not shifted much from before.
But putting those views as a woman is acceptable, whilst putting them as a guy was not.
That...hmmm...well there's a massive debate in itself which MIGHT result in a conclusion that there is a silencing of the male perspective going on.
However, the other thing i am picking up massively (from being an acitivist in many areas linked to sexuality) is how far men seem to exclude themselves. In part, i guess, a response to perceived hostility.
But in part, too, it just feels like the majority of men aren't interested. I'd be interested in your take on that.
jane
x
Hi Jane, thanks for the comments.
I think the fact men's voices are derided when it comes to matters of sexuality, sexual health etc has a big impact on the situation. The discourses, as well, of 'rapists' and predators and 'paedophiles' affect men's approach to sex/uality.
I don't think men are uninterested either. But then I am a Foucauldian and most of my knowledge about sexuality comes from queer theory which is male dominated (and which I have criticised for being so). Freud, Foucault, Simpson, Bersani, Zeeland are my guides.
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