Disturbing Differences. Feminist Readings of Identity, Location and Power research project
The research project, Disturbing Differences. Feminist Readings of Identity, Location and Power (2004-2007), funded by the Academy of Finland examines in the research field of art and culture, and within a feminist frame of reference, how differences connected to gender and other - racial, sexual, national, ethnic, religious and embodied - identities are produced through various intersecting discourses. The project strives beyond the still common unifying dualistic structuring of these differences by concentrating on investigating power, authority and privilege of various practices and material (Oriental dance, religious movements, narratives of fatherhood, representations of fatness, post-colonial fiction, feminist magazines, Internet).
The project does not limit itself to the description of differences, but seeks above all to study the space between them, the places where they meet. Differences are understood as contextual structurings of social relations, and not as bases for them. Thus, the project concentrates on examining how differences are valued: the project investigates how gender, nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, sexuality and embodiment become privilege. The project understands research focusing on differences as inextricably linked to the gendered, national, ethnic and racial situatedness of the researcher, and discusses through the concepts of situated knowledge and positioned readings ethical questions of research.
A book written by the members of the project and some distinguished researchers:
Working with Affect in Feminist Readings: Disturbing Differences.
Ed. by Marianne Liljeström and Susanna Paasonen. Transformations. Routledge, 2010
More info about the book on Routledge's page
Disturbing Differences -conference May 18-19, 2007
University of Turku, Finland, Centre for Women's Studies:
Project members:
Leader:
- Professor Marianne Liljeström, Women's Studies.
Researchers:
- Susanna Paasonen, PhD, Academy of Finland postdoctoral researcher, Women's Studies
- MA Ilana Aalto, Cultural History
- MA Johanna Ahonen, Comparative Religion
- MA Katariina Kyrölä, Media Studies
- MA Anu Laukkanen, Folkloristics
- Phil. Lic. Elina Valovirta, Department of English