The Organization for Research on Women and Communication invites submissions for program proposals and competitive papers for the Western States Communication Association Convention in Irvine, CA (February 12-15, 2021). ORWAC seeks submissions that speak to both its emphasis on research regarding gender, intersectionality, oppression, and social change, and the Convention theme, “Cultivation.” Of particular interest are papers and panels that challenge or extend understandings of feminist and gender justice advocacy, address the building of critically conscious coalitions, and explore the intersections of gender and race, ethnicity, nationality, ability, sexuality, and class. ORWAC especially encourages studies centering queer, transgender, and gender nonconforming politics; race and racialization; postcolonial and decolonial theories; dis/ability; labor; transnationalism; and critical examinations of masculinity and other gendered forms of hegemony. Submitted papers should display a substantive commitment to intersectionality, one that infuses the whole of the research, rather than denoting superficial attention to marginalized groups.
Paper submission guidelines: ORWAC does not accept works in progress nor should papers have been previously presented, published, or be accepted for presentation or publication. Authors who have not previously presented a paper at a conference or published in a journal should mark their papers as “Debut” in the upper right-hand corner of the title page as well as indicate their status (e.g., bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral student). Authors should also select “debut” in the Attendee Interactive system. All co-authors must meet the eligibly requirements to be considered a Debut Paper. ORWAC offers $500 awards to the Top Paper, Top Student Paper, and Top Debut Paper. All student submissions should be marked as “Student” for consideration of the Top Student Paper award.
Paper submissions should not exceed 25 pages and should be free of information identifying the author(s).
Authors must disclose whether they have obtained Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, organizational approval, or other necessary permissions for any convention submission involving the collection of data on human participants. If no approval was obtained, the reason should be stated. For example, if authors have not obtained IRB approval because their institutions do not have IRBs, that fact should be stated. The IRB disclosure statement should be included in a footnote, author note, or submission text.
Program Panel submission guidelines: Include the following information: 1) Thematic title of the program; 2) Description and rationale of program; 3) Title and brief description of each presentation or questions to be pursued by panelists; 4) Names and affiliations of all participants. Alternative formats are encouraged as are innovative program proposals that provide opportunities for engaged interaction among participants and attendees.
All submission will be through the WSCA online system, Attendee Interactive. Please note that your Attendee Interactive user name and password are separate from your WSCA log-in information. Follow submission instructions on the website, and stipulate any requests for AV equipment with your initial submission. Requests for equipment submitted after the submission deadline will not be met. For additional details about the WSCA convention, please consult www.westcomm.org.
All submissions are due no later than September 1, 2020 by 11:59 pm PST in order to be considered.