IMC Leeds 2020 – Dis/ability in the medieval North

Call for papers: IMC Leeds 2020
6–9 July, 2020
Dis/ability in the medieval North
Organizers: Christopher Crocker and
Yoav Tirosh (University of Iceland)

In line with the now commonly accepted premise that disability is a multi-factorial phenomenon, scholars have come to realise that there can be no fixed, acultural and/or atemporal definition of disability. Scholars today commonly make use of the concepts of ‘embodied difference’ and ‘marked or unusual bodies’ as they do not imply pre-defined notions of disability. Although disability is negotiated with the body as a central platform, scholars are not limited to speaking only of the physicality of bodies. Rather the body materialises and translates physical, psychic, and intellectual differences in ways that societies can identify them as deviations from what is considered ‘normal’ in specific temporal contexts. Indeed, the phenomenon of disability cannot be studied without understanding how the notions of ‘ability’ and ‘normal’ are conceptualized. The term ‘dis/ability’ can thus be used to remind us that it is not possible to understand one without recognizing the other.

Within this theoretical context, we invite paper proposals on the topic of Dis/ability in the Medieval North for a series of sessions of 15–20-minute papers to be held at the International Medieval Congress (IMC) 2020 at the University of Leeds (6–9 July 2020). The study of disability intrinsically crosses disciplinary boundaries and so we welcome contributions from a range of disciplines. In the context of the medieval North, suggested topics include, but are not limited to:
▪ Approaches to the experience of dis/ability through sources, methodology, and narrative
▪ Dis/ability and society, religion, law or medical knowledge
▪ Intersections of dis/ability with age, gender, social status, etc.
▪ Dis/ability, assistive technology, and care
▪ Terminology or language of dis/ability

We invite abstracts of 200–300 words to be sent to cwe1@hi.is by August 30, 2019, with a view to confirming participants in the sessions by mid-September. Please direct any queries to cwe1@hi.is or tiroshyoav@yahoo.com.

The proposed sessions emerge from the interdisciplinary research project Disability before disability (Icel. Fötlun fyrir tíma fötlunar) situated at the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Iceland and supported by the Icelandic Research fund (Icel. Rannsóknasjóður) Grant of Excellence No 173655-05.

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