An Interdisciplinary Conference on FETISHISM
Istanbul, Turkey 26-28
November, 2008
http://www.independentscholars.org/s/show.aspx?id=35#
Fetishism is used in three distinct but,
arguably, interconnected ways:
commodity fetishism, sexual fetishism and
religious fetishism. From
voodoo dolls to Catholic sacraments, from latex
cat suits to stiletto
heels, from shiny i-pods to red Corvettes the
fetish is always an object
that exceeds both its value and its function as a
mere object. The
fetish, it seems, is never itself but always a
stand-in for something
else. This conference aims to explore what this
"something else" may be,
how the substitution functions and the possible
connections between the
three kinds of fetishism.
This is an interdisciplinary conference,
therefore, papers are welcome
from disciplines that include, but are not
limited to, cultural studies,
film studies, literature, art history, cultural
anthropology, sociology,
psychology, psychoanalysis, political science,
economics, queer studies,
women's studies, TV studies and media studies.
Proposals are invited for 20-minute
presentations. Panel proposals for
up to three speakers are also welcome. Please
submit abstracts, no
longer than 350 words, by using the 'submission'
button above.
Deadline for abstracts: 11th of July 2008
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[+] [-] Possible streams (cut for length - includes Marx, Freud, DeBord, cinema, fashion, religion)
Possible streams:
Fetishism of Commodities: The significance of Marx's famous/notorious concept, "Fetishism of Commodities" , is not that the commodities themselves are fetishistic: it is rather us, who insistently believe that commodities mean something else/more than what they are as physical/psychical objects, that are fetishistic. In assigning fetishism to the presumed subject rather than the object itself, we are implicitly saying that subjects living in a commodity economy are necessarily perverts, not as a result of individual development or choice, but structurally. In this sense, Marx's Fetishism of Commodities becomes, in a way, synonymous with what Freud called, some sixty years after Marx, Civilization and Its Discontents (Das Unbehagen in der Kultur), that is, what is structurally problematic in modern (capitalist) civilization. Papers and panels investigating the links, overlaps and discrepancies between these two different senses of "fetishism" are welcome. What is the relation between `fetish as commodity' and `commodity as fetish'? Is the "Brand" a phallic object? Could commodity fetishism be regarded as a mass perversion? What is the relation between commodity fetishism and alienation?
Psychoanalysis and Fetishism: According to Freud fetish is a substitute for "the mother's missing penis" and a means of denying castration. In Lacanian terminology this is rephrased so that the fetish becomes a substitute for lack, in order to deny that we lack. More importantly, however, fetishism halts the chain of substitution. It is the substitute that ends all substitution and cannot be substituted. Papers on Freudian, Lacanian, Kleinian understanding of fetishism, are welcome, as well as papers that use such theories to `read' cultural texts like films, paintings, music videos, performance art, body art, novels, advertisements, web sites etc.
Fetishism and Spectacle: In his famous book The Society of The Spectacle Guy Debord further developed Marx's concept of commodity fetishism and elaborated on the similarity of the roles of contemporary mass media marketing and the religions of the past. According to Debord, mass media facilitates the spread of commodity images, which in turn gives rise to "waves of enthusiasm for a given product" resulting in "moments of fervent exaltation similar to the ecstasies of the convulsions and miracles of the old religious fetishism". Is spectacle the ultimate fetish in late capitalism? Papers and panels investigating the links, overlaps and discrepancies between these two different senses of fetishism are welcome.
Cinema and Fetishism: The relation between fetishism and cinema has been a widely discussed topic, especially, since the publication of Laura Mulvey's infamous article "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema". Feminist film theorists ranging from Kaja Silverman to Gaylen Studlar have investigated the possible relations between cinematic pleasure and fetishism. Papers that deal with such theories or their applications to specific texts are welcome. On the other hand, mainstream cinema has always been a treasure trove of fetishsitic imagery. From the western genre with its cowboy hats, spurs and six shooters, to the science fiction genre with its futuristic catsuits and sleek starships, every genre seems to have its own brand of fetishism. Papers that investigate the fetishistic usage of iconography in films are welcome.
Religion and Fetishism: One thinks automatically of tribal religions and totems when religious fetishism is invoked. However, if such fetishes were defined as "an inanimate object worshiped for its supposed magical powers" then one would have to include all religious icons. Papers may explore the fetishistic values of religious icons such as crucifixes, statues of the Madonna, the turban, evil eyes, etc. As well as the their further fetishization in films, music videos, paintings etc. Papers dealing with fetishism in the context of "new age" spirituality are also welcome. How would `superstitious' behaviours such as wearing something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue at ones wedding enter this discussion?
Fashion and Fetishism: In the late 80s Gianni Versace's scandalous collections of bondage couture and Madonna's appearances in Jean Paul Gaultier corsets and bustiers started a flow of fetish iconography into mainstream-popular culture. As Valerie Steele points out in Fetish: Fashion, Sex & Power, since than catwalks have been saturated with fetish imagery, such as shiny stilettos, black leather boots, corsets, etc. Certainly the 80s is not when clothing became fetishistic. How much further back could one go in exploring this bond? Do fetishes change with fashion? Or how is fashion shaped by fetishes? Some feminists argue that fetish couture is sexists, exploitative, even mysogynistic? Is it?
Body Modification and Fetishism: What is the relationship between fetishism and pracatices such as dieting, body building, plastic surgery, tattooing, piercing, branding, circumcision, gender reassignment surgery? What is the relationship between these practices and other areas of fetishistic focus like fashion and religion? What is the relationship between `body art' and body modification practices on the one hand and fetishism on the other in the works of such artists like Sterlac, Orlan, Bob Flanagan, Ron Athey etc. How does Anzieu's theory of the Skin Ego shed light on the skin as an ultimate fetish? Papers that focus on one or more body modification practice as a form of fetish is welcome, as well as papers that analyze the representation of such practices in literature, film, video etc.
Fandom and Fetishism: Lorraine Gamman and Merja Makinen claim that fandom is a form of `religious' fetishism. When pieces of clothing of stars can be sold in Sotheby's for astronomical prices, when e-bay is filled with `memorabilia' for fans, no doubt fandom is an important part of commodity fetishism. Both fan fiction and the fantasies that fans share about their idols prove the sexual nature of the fetishistic aspect of fandom. Papers that explore the link between fandom and any, or all, types of fetishism are welcome.
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