Caribbean Studies Association Annual Conference

Summary: Theme: Understanding the Everyday Occurrence of Violence in the Cultural Life of the Caribbean

Caribbean Studies Association Annual Conference 2010: 
Understanding the Everyday Occurrence of Violence in the Cultural Life of the Caribbean: Where Do We Go From Here?

The phenomenon of violence has become widely recognized as an increasingly intractable problem facing the Caribbean. The 2010 Conference of the Caribbean Studies Association invites scholars to explore the complexities of violence and all its implication for the region. We encourage attention to a wide range of issues including but not limited to the following: the foundational role of violence enabled by the European encounter, and its legacies; the authoritarianism of colonial and neo-colonial rule, as well as the violence of postcolonial politics and political leadership; structural violence and its differentiated effects in the everyday lives of people; political violence; violence and cultural expressions; violence against women and children; violence, masculinity and heteronormativity; violence as spectacle; media and other representations of violence; and finally, alternatives to violence in the region and throughout its diasporas – whether through the spheres of policies, visual artifacts, street protests, community engagements, spiritual responses, or theatrical and literary interventions. We anticipate that examining the role of violence in the cultural life of the region will also lead to an exploration of the often-neglected dimension of violence, namely, the deprivation of rights for particular sectors of the population, affording an opportunity to address crucial issues relating to sexuality and the denial of full benefits of citizenship in the Caribbean. Lastly, an exploration of the role of violence in the cultural life of the Caribbean would of necessity involve the phenomenon of class exploitation and repression, important to the social reproduction of society.

In short, this year’s conference theme provides a space for a full discussion of the physical, emotional, psychological, social and political exploration of the notion of violence. The policy implications of this topic are unavoidable and urgently needed; it is to this end that the subtitle poses the question, where do we go from here? As the largest and most well-established professional organization of Caribbean scholars, we should offer some input into how public policy concerning violence is formulated. The CSA could, for example, begin to investigate the cost associated with violence in the region, namely, the pressures on the public health system to address the needs of those victims of violence, prison costs resulting from conflict, the violence of poverty and unemployment, and the monopolization of violence by the state, inter alia. We welcome panel and individual submissions from people across the humanities, arts, social sciences, public policy and civil society organizations.

Suggested Topics:

 The state’s monopoly of violence

 Capitalism and structural violence

 Representing violence

 Domestic and sexual violence

 Violence against children

 Violence and citizenship

 Violence and everyday life

 Transnationalism, diasporas and violence

 Crime, violence and the law

  Violence and the artistic imagination

 Race, ethnic cleavages and political violence

 Violence unleashed on the environment of the Caribbean

The role of violence in the cultural life of the region