CFP: Animals & Popular Culture for #NEPCA2022

The Northeast Popular Culture Association (NEPCA) invites proposals for its Animals and Culture area for its virtual conference from Oct 20-22, 2022 (Thursday evening, Friday late afternoon & evening, Saturday morning to midday-EDT).

Historical, contemporary analyses and interdisciplinary approaches welcome. Proposals should appeal to a broad audience and minimize specialized terminology; submissions that engage with the critical approaches are especially encouraged.

All submissions should be framed by a research perspective and not be overtly commercial. Also, despite how much we all want to help, not limited to information about animal/rescue organizations and advocacy.

Special Focus: Animals during Warfare

Possible other topics could include (but are not limited to):

• Animals as companions to humans ​

• Therapy animals

• Animals in literature​, art and other media

• Wildlife genre and documentary

• Symbols and caricatures

• Celebrity animals and animal performers

• Commodification of animals

• News coverage of animals and animal issues

• Animal memorialization

• Anthropomorphic speciesism / Anti-speciesist anthropomorphism

NEPCA welcomes individual papers and panels of 3-5 presenters. Papers are generally 15-20 minutes in length; panels have a maximum of 75 minutes. Abstracts are responded to on a rolling basis. The deadline for submissions is August 1, 2022. 

For more information visit the NEPCA conference page. Go directly to the proposal submission form here. If you have questions about this area, please reach out to the Area Chair for the Animals and Culture area, Donna Varga, Mount Saint Vincent University: donna.varga@msvu.ca