Call for Papers: Central European Masculinities. Norms and Transgressions

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We are pleased to invite you to the International Conference ‘Central European Masculinities. Norms and Transgressions’, which will be held in Bratislava between 29–30 September, 2025.

Although masculinity studies have been established as a research field for over three decades, they are gaining particular relevance today in an era marked by the dynamic re-evaluation of gender roles, the confrontation of diverse forms of masculinities, and cultural conflicts arising from these processes. Current cultural, societal, and political developments have prompted a re-examination and subversion of historical perspectives on masculinities, male roles, and representations of manhood.

Despite various initiatives – particularly in the Polish context – research on masculinities in Central and Eastern Europe remains underdeveloped. Our initiative seeks to stimulate scholarly interest in the forms of masculinities in the Central European region through an interdisciplinary lens and to foster connections between ongoing research efforts. The planned conference will be the third event organized within the Central European Masculinities research project.

This conference aims to explore the formation of norms and acts of transgression in Central European masculinities during the era of cultural modernity, understood as the period from the late 18th century to the 20th century (up to the onset of postmodernity). We also welcome contributions that reflect on the lingering, re-evaluated, or revived aspects of these processes in postmodern and contemporary contexts.

While the primary focus is on literary studies, the event embraces an interdisciplinary approach. We encourage submissions from related arts, social sciences, and humanities fields.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Forms of masculine identities within dominant ideologies of the time
  • Masculinities in the frame of changing relations between the Central European region andthe West
  • Construction of “traditional male roles” within national and ethnic contexts
  • Transformations and crises of male identity across shifting cultural paradigms
  • Interactions among hegemonic, alternative, and subversive masculinities throughout history
  • Silenced or marginalized forms of historical masculinities
  • Masculinities in the context of gender dynamics in Central European societies
  • Minority (ethnic and religious) masculinities, such as Jewish, Roma, etc.
  • Migrant diasporic masculinities
  • Representations of conflicting or alternative masculinities in literature and other (art) media.

Conference Committee:

  • Judit Acsády (HUN REN)
  • Marcin Bogucki (IKP WP UW)
  • Mateusz Chmurski (CEFRES/Sorbonne)
  • Filip Mazurkiewicz (IP WH UŚ)
  • Richard Müller (ÚČL AV ČR)
  • Josef Šebek (ÚČLK FF UK)
  • Wojciech Śmieja (IL WH UŚ)
  • Ivana Taranenková (ÚSlL SAV)

The international conference is organized by the Institute of Slovak Literature, Slovak Academy of Sciences, within the framework of the Central European Masculinities research project.

Deadline for the submissions: June 25, 2025
Please send your proposal (title and short description) to Ivana.Taranenkova@savba.sk
We will notify selected participants and share the detailed symposium schedule by 15 July 2025.
For more information click here.