Second Call for Papers The Traffic in Feminism: Contemporary Women's Movements in Europe European Journal of Women's Studies 

Special Issue August 2002 Editors:
Judith Ezekiel (ezekiel@univ-tlse2.fr), and Mieke Verloo (m.verloo@mailbox.kun.nl)

This issue hopes to bring together articles related to the circulation of people, ideas, representations, and practices of feminist movements in post-World War II Europe and between Europe and other parts of the world.

The seeming commonality of feminist movements throughout Europe rests, no doubt, on shared political conceptualization of the subject "women" but also on the concrete circulation of people and ideas. Examples abound, be it the spread of new notions such as marital rape or a specific call to "show us how" to organize shelters. Even the process of diversification--of multiplying issues addressed or of expanding the subject "women" to include the many groups hidden behind the term--is paralleled in many places. Feminist movements cross-nationally do seem to have more similarities than many other social movements.

Yet upon examination, the "similarity" is often the tip of a culturally-specific iceberg. Women's movements export, adopt and adapt things selectively, serving domestic as well as international agendas.

Definitions, representations, and periodization of the movement can exclude or include peoples and groups. The trafficking in feminism is a situated process within the contexts of historical, cultural and political dynamics.

Thus, we encourage comparative approaches that elucidate these processes.

We welcome articles about the trafficking of feminist ideas and practices between countries, between centers and peripheries, between generations of activists, and along and across societal cleavages. Studies might also cover regional, international and diaspora networks or coalitions, or focus on connections and disjunctures with other political and social movements.

Case studies (cities, countries or groups) must move beyond the descriptive, challenge previous narratives and bring to light new findings.

Some of the questions that might be addressed are the following: How has circulation occured in the changing configurations of Europe (Central and Eastern Europe, the European Union, former Yugoslavia, Austria, etc.)? How have movements posititioned themselves faced with histories of extreme violence ("ethnic cleansing," the Shoah)? How have European connections reinforced or eroded the marginization of minority groups within the movement? In what ways are networks affected by language boundaries? How have feminist texts "translated"? What has been the impact of the diverse channels used (mainstream media, alternative sources, ICT)? How are "foreign feminisms" represented and used domestically (American feminism, French feminism, western feminism, third world feminism). Are European movements part of so-called global feminism? How have various goals and strategies produced different outcomes, in terms of national institutions, lifestyles and cultures and the state of the movement itself?

We encourage contributions from all disciplines. Articles go through our review process.

Feel free to contact the editors to discuss proposals and to obtain the style sheet.

Please send manuscripts to:

Annette Geelink The European Journal of Women's Studies Utrecht University Heidelberglaan 2

3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Deadline for the submission of articles is May 1, 2001