CLASS CON 2024 Call for Papers/Voices/Participation
March 15th and 16th, Bowling Green State University, Jerome Library (and online)
Inspired by Ray Browne, the founder of Popular Culture Studies at BGSU, this conference seeks to give “education a broader base and greater richness” through the exploration of why and how popular culture and class are interconnected. A scholar and teacher who saw popular culture as a tool to bring together the working-class students and the elitism of academia to create a new curriculum, Browne’s legacy of inclusion and effecting change is at the heart of this year’s Class Con.
As class studies are often niche, invisible, or non-existent within many cultural studies programs, we hope to draw attention to the discipline and the broader need for class consciousness. By understanding and breaking down the structures and systems that uphold our modern class structure, this conference aims to make meaningful change both in and outside of the academic ivory tower. Specifically, with this conference we hope to brainstorm, workshop, and develop a pedagogic approach to bringing class studies into the classroom while also giving a voice to the students most impacted by economic uncertainties.
As a public university for the public good, Bowling Green State University will host an academic conference that has the potential to create good for the public to whom we are committed. This conference aims to facilitate dialog surrounding the issues of class in American culture, both in traditional academic presentations as well as in workshops, discussions, and artistic representations (written, spoken, visual, performance, etc.).
The key areas of the conference include (but are not limited to) the following:
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Pedagogy and Class Studies
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Class Representations in Popular Culture
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Class Issues in Academia
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Labor Unions in Contemporary Culture
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Social Outreach and Activism
Interested parties and individuals are encouraged to submit their proposals (abstract of about 500 words) by December 1st to classcon@bgsu.edu. No cost to submit. Free for both in-person and online attendance.
John King, Bowling Green State University, School of Critical and Cultural Studies
