Digital Frontiers and the University of North Texas Department of Philosophy and Religion Present:
An Interdisciplinary Conference on Star Wars, Episodes VII, VIII & IX
May 2–4, 2019, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
Call for Papers:
Although Star Wars: Episode IV–A New Hope may have started out on shaky ground, its cinematic release in 1977 forever changed the landscape of American pop culture. As Douglas Brode has argued, “Star Wars, simply put, had turned out to be not merely the latest momentary blip on the entertainment screen but an essential element of how we define ourselves through the movies and related media” (2012, 7). Far from simply reflecting a particular film genre, Star Wars has become a cultural phenomenon that has impacted pop culture for over four decades.
Throughout the original trilogy, the prequels, and most recently the sequels, the films have focused on the struggle between Imperial forces and rebellious fighters who seek to throw off the yoke of an authoritarian regime. In the opening crawl of Episode VII–The Force Awakens, we are told that the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa, is fighting against the First Order so that peace and justice may be restored to the galaxy. This conference seeks to critically explore what it means to be “with the Resistance” by focusing on Episodes VII, VIII, and (to the extent possible) IX, as well as the various ways these films reflect, contribute to, or even fail to show “how we define ourselves through the movies and related media.” In other words, this conference aims to bring together scholars from across disciplines to examine the three most recent Star Wars films as cultural texts, with an explicit focus on themes of resistance and justice, and on how these films contribute to, reflect, or depart from broader contemporary cultural practices and social discourses.
We invite all interested participants to join us in thinking about the themes of resistance to hegemony, justice, and the restoration of peace in Episodes VII, VIII & IX and how these films reflect, contribute to, or depart from wider social discourses and cultural phenomena.
As aca-fans it is our hope that this conference is both a celebration of the films, and the broader culture engendered by the Star Wars franchise, as well as an opportunity to engage in constructively critical analysis. We welcome scholars from any discipline, employing any methodology, however in the spirit of the conference theme, we request that all papers avoid racism, sexism, ableism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, and religious bigotry. Submissions by students and early career scholars are encouraged.
Accepted participants will be invited to present their 20-minute papers, or to exhibit their work, at a two-and-a-half-day interdisciplinary conference at the University of North Texas in Denton. To submit a paper proposal, please submit this form with the following information:
- Name, institutional affiliation, email address of corresponding author and all co-authors (if applicable)
- 250-word abstract
- Short bio
Dates and Deadlines
- Submission Deadline: November 15, 2018
- Notifications: January 5, 2019
- Conference Dates: May 2–4, 2019
For full details, visit the CFP site. If you have questions please contact resistance@digital-frontiers.org. Follow @RealizeResist on Twitter for Star Wars chat and conference updates.