ANIMALS & FEMINISMS:
Intersectionalities in More-Than-Human Worlds
7 – 11 July, Amsterdam
Are animals a feminist issue? The topic for the 10th Lova International Summer School centers around this question with the theme Animals & Feminisms: Intersectionalities in More-Than-Human Worlds. While it seems that gender studies remains overwhelmingly humanistic, there is great value in studying gender and animals together (Taylor, 2024). Lova’s signature gender lens will therefore be applied this year to examine human-animal relations. This Summer School aims to highlight the fields of gender studies, feminist anthropology and human-animal studies— field that gain recognition, yet are facing challenges such as budget constraints and limited political and institutional support. We seek to explore the connections between these disciplines and foster interdisciplinary connections.
In this Summer School, we purposely scrutinize the implications of anthropocentric hierarchisation for non-human and human animals alike by considering the multiple dynamics, systems and mechanisms at work (e.g. animalisation, (de)personalisation, commodification, objectification, sexualisation and ‘gender-fication’). Hence, we recognize that speciesism is an interlocking system with inter-human “isms” (racism, sexism, classism, ableism, heterosexism, etc.). As such, the intersectional approach functions on multiple levels.
We will explore the representations and cultural imaginaries surrounding animals as subjects, objects, and references in public discourse, food culture, spatial organization, scientific practices, folklore, rituals, and companionships. In doing so, we for instance explore how human gender constructs strongly impact how people treat and perceive animals, and conversely, how popular representations of animals are often used to reinforce (conservative) claims about gender and sexuality in humans.
Through self-research, interactive workshops, and lectures, the Summer School provides a platform for participants to critically and creatively reflect upon the attitudes, beliefs, and assumptions that societies hold about themselves, O/others, the geographies they inhabit, and the natural world in general – while also addressing the inherent challenge of truly understanding the lives and perspectives of other creatures. We will focus on topics ranging from multispecies ethnography to animal liberation and sanctuary movements, from capitalism to veganism, from gendered, sexual and racial violence to feminist ethics of care, and from ethics and emotions to agency and resistance.
Beyond examining the various ways feminists have responded to the patriarchal, hierarchical, and dualistic logics that contribute to the domination of women, ecosystems, and non-human animals, we also turn to the questions: How can we integrate more-than-human care and empathy, amplify multispecies voices, and reimagine human-animal relations altogether?
In addition to academic lectures, the program will feature workshops to stimulate both body and mind, as well as an excursion to engage with the stories and culture of Amsterdam. We work with a small group and adopt an anti-hierarchical atmosphere. We invite PhD, master’s, and bachelor’s students and lifelong learners with an interest in exploring human- animal relationships from a gender perspective to participate in this Summer School.
Organising committee
Organiser/Academic Director: Dr. Irene Arends (Independent researcher, in collaboration with CEDLA, University of Amsterdam). Part of the program has been developed jointly with Dr. Fernando Gonzalez Rodriguez.
Chair Lova: Dr. Jasmijn Rana (Leiden University)
Tuition fee
€375: Current Lova members or self-funded participants
€495: Funded participants (e.g., covered by an organization or university)
This fee includes: lectures, workshops, vegan lunches and coffee/tea/refreshments.
Application
Please send a message to school@lovanetwork.org, including a few words on your motivation.
The deadline for application is the 1st of May. We will have a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 15 participants. Early registration is encouraged.
Note that all lectures and workshops will be in English.
Schedule
The schedule runs approximately from 9.30 to 17.00 hours. We will offer suggestions for evening activities in the city, but these are not part of the official program.
Venue
The summer school is hosted by the Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation (CEDLA) at the University of Amsterdam, located right in the heart of the historical centre of Amsterdam, at Binnengasthuisstraat 46.