18th European Conference for English Studies
August 31-September 4, 2026
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Let’s Talk About Gender: Critical Pedagogies and Intersectional Knowledge Transfer in the English and American Studies Classroom
Educational systems as institutions of power influence the production and maintenance of societal norms, particularly with regard to gender and their intersections. Despite the fact that many suggestions have been made how to achieve participatory intersectional teaching practices, there is still an urgent need to reflect on practices and methods in the English and American Studies classroom. Very often experiences in the educational system show that regardless of well-intentioned efforts and excellent research in critical pedagogy, the educational system has been oddly consistent in producing and re-producing gender norms. This seminar suggests a feminist pedagogical approach to English and American Studies that focuses on intersectional aspects of race, class, gender, age, and sexual orientation and offers a revised perspective as a didactic tool for literary and cultural analyses in educational settings for teaching in challenging times, where established narratives as well as gender assumptions and norms are questioned. Emphasizing intersectionality, the seminar will ask for contributions to “trouble gender” (Butler) and offer insights into intercultural and intergenerational dynamics for teaching literature. This feminist didactical approach will not only highlight the importance of a critical engagement with established narratives, but will ultimately function as a tool within educational contexts in order to critically engage with and deconstruct (gender) norms and assumptions and offer individuals involved the means to move beyond established and limiting normative social conventions. Established feminist literature and theory will provide an understanding of social, political, and cultural assumptions as narratively constructed concepts limiting the individual in terms of gender and other identity categories. Contributions are welcomed that provide such analysis of narratives and interpretation of texts, or offer theoretical considerations of social reproduction theory, transnational gender literature and/or intersectionality for the English and American Studies classroom teaching literature, language and culture on all levels and providing a critical engagement with the question of identity and social structures within teaching.
CONVENORS:
- Adelina Sánchez Espinosa (University of Granada, Spain) adelina(at)ugr.es
- Nicole Haring (University of Graz, Austria) nicole.haring(at)uni-graz.at
If you wish to present a paper, you are invited to submit 200-250 word abstracts directly to the convenors by 31st January 2026.
For further information and updates, please visit the conference website: www.esse2026.com