NEPCA CFP – Animals & Culture

Call for Papers for Special Session in Animals and Culture

• 2020 Northeast Popular Culture Association (NEPCA) Conference

• Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire

• Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24

• Proposal due: June 1, 2020

The Animals and Culture area would like to invite proposals on the multifaceted roles and representations of animals in popular culture. Through conference sessions, Animals and Culture seeks to explore the complex intersections between animals, animal imagery, society and popular culture. Animals have appeared in human culture since the earliest cave paintings, and still feature significantly across nearly all areas of popular culture. In many cases, people are more likely to interact with visual representation of animals than actual animals, and yet popular and mediated representations of animals can impact how living animals are perceived and treated. Interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged, and possible topics could include (but are not limited to):

• Pets and companion animals

• Animals in children’s literature and media

• Wildlife genre and documentary

• Symbols and caricatures

• Celebrity animals and animal performers

• Commodification of animals

• Animals in advertising, branding, and commercial franchises

• News coverage of animals and animal issues

Singular presentations or full panels can be submitted for consideration.  Proposals can be submitted on the NEPCA Conference page or by going directly to the submission form here.  Submissions should include the presenter’s contact information, bio,  and paper information (including a working title and proposal of no more than 250 words). Be sure to select the Subject Area “Special Topics for 2020: Animals and Culture.”

Please address any questions about submissions to the area chair, Elizabeth Gartley at garte246@newschool.edu.