Contemporary Feminist Political Theory
Virtual Community

Welcome!

Community co-chairs:

• Michaele Ferguson (University of Colorado, Boulder)
• Veronica Zebadua (Spelman College)
• Claire McKinney (William and Mary College)

Contact information:

Claire McKinney: cmckinney@wm.edu

Virtual Community member login

https://www.wpsanet.org/member/mem_vc.php

Community focus and purpose:

This virtual community will serve as a reading group and forum in contemporary feminist political theory. Our group will have a particular focus on “new directions” that challenge or extend existing frameworks for theorizing feminisms, such as those that employ new historical, textual, or activist methods to theorize gender, as well as those that bring new dimensions of the relationships between gender and (settler) colonialism, racism, disability, capitalism, and sexuality to light. Our inquiry will be wide-ranging and diverse, but aims to understand how both feminist theory and feminist praxis are evolving in relationship to our changing political landscape. To that end, topics may include, but are not limited to, the politics and methods of Native and Black feminisms, challenges for multiracial solidarity in the populist moment, gender and the climate crisis, the uneasy relationships between queer, trans, and feminist claims, feminism’s role in thinking critical disability and crip studies, feminist care frameworks and Covid-19, and abolitionist and decolonial feminisms. A primary goal of our reading group will be to understand how these wide-ranging topics are both related to and disruptive of traditional frameworks in feminist political theory by inviting participants to choose readings on a rotating basis and to introduce “new directions” to the group by leading discussion.

Types of events planned:

We will hold discussions on recently published or forthcoming work in feminist political theory throughout the year. We especially invite our members to participate in the shape of our conversation in one of two ways:

1. We welcome and very much encourage our members to share their own recently published or forthcoming work. These discussions will be billed as “Plenary Sessions,” and we especially encourage graduate students or contingent and junior faculty to submit their work for these events.
2. We also welcome and encourage members to suggest recently published works on topics that they would like to discuss. We especially appreciate suggestions in “new directions” of feminist theory, as described above.

How to join this virtual community:

Regular WPSA membership dues include participation in the Virtual Communities program along with discounted registration fees to WPSA’s in-person conference, subscriptions to its two journals, and eligibility to participate in all other WPSA activities. For scholars and students who are interested in participating only in the Virtual Communities, WPSA offers a limited membership that does not include any other benefits. We encourage everyone who can to join WPSA as a full member to help sustain the Association.

To join or renew your WPSA membership click here:
https://www.wpsanet.org/forms/mem_form.php

To register for the Virtual Community Program click here:
https://www.wpsanet.org/forms/reg_vc.php

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