Need Your Help

[deelaundry]

Hello, my awesome and intelligent f-list (and passerby); can I have your help? I signed up to moderate a panel at Con.Txt called: Gender and Sexuality Across Cultures.

I didn't propose the panel originally, but hey, relevant to my interests! The challenge now (in the next three weeks) is to find the right material to make this a rich, informative, engaging session.

Who can point me in some good directions for research? Legit sources, texts, lines of thought, specialists in this area. All I have now is interest, good analytical and research skills, and my college papers on this topic for Heian-period Japan and 20th century American pop culture. NOT ENOUGH.

Comment here, PM me, email -- I'll take info any way you can provide it. Thank you!

Here's the write-up of the panel:
“Concepts of gender and sexuality have changed and varied in complex ways across the whole scope of human culture, and for people writing about other places and times, it's a good idea to step outside the categories you're used to. Learn some of the basics of gender and sexuality across cultures, and where to find out more, and discuss how to use that knowledge in fiction without erasing the modern lived experience of your readers.”

Comments

[knitty-woman.livejournal.com]

One possibility is to search for syllabi for 'gender and sexuality' courses. That would give you possible research material. I can't recall any of the texts I read years ago, but there's been a huge amount of interdisciplinary work done in both queer and women's studies on this issue. (One text/film that came immediately to mind was 'Orlando'.)

[yarroway.livejournal.com]

Do they mean contemporary cultures?

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

I will pursure that line; thank you!

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Historic cultures as well. It's a fan (slash) conference, so it'd be most relevant for well-used AUs/historical fandoms: ancient Rome, Age of Sail, Victorian England, etc. I'd also like to cover/explore cultures from Africa, Asia, Central America, Caribbean, and South America. Religious cultures too. A wide spectrum, even though that means we wouldn't be able to do a deep dive on any particular one.

[taiga13.livejournal.com]

zulu on Dreamwidth would be able to help you I should think, she's done a lot of academic study in gender.

[yarroway.livejournal.com]

Arthur Evans wrote a book on Dionysus and ancient gender roles and attitudes towards sexuality that I really liked, but it's old and I'm not in a position to evaluate the scholarship:

http://www.amazon.com/The-God-Ecstasy-Madness-Dionysus/dp/031202214X

There's also this online:
http://www.enotes.com/topic/Homosexuality_in_ancient_Rome

I know the sacred clowns in Native American rituals often turned the tribe topsy-turvy, including--sometimes-- dressing as the opposite gender, but I can't point you to a particular source, and I don't know anything about their sexual behavior.

And I'm afraid that's the best I can do.

[hwshipper.livejournal.com]

I was going to mention zulu too. Are you interested in early 20thC UK? I could probably find a couple of things & send you.

[ixquic.livejournal.com]

I saw this today and remember your request.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2012/05/30/153990125/in-mexico-mixed-genders-and-muxes

[ravenna-c-tan.livejournal.com]

Walter L. Williams is the leading academic I can think of on gender variation and androgyny within Native American cultures. Here's one excerpt online from his major work THE SPIRIT AND THE FLESH:

http://www.worldpolicy.newschool.edu/globalrights/sexorient/williams.html

But you're totally going to talk about your Heian-period college papers, too, yes? I hope I make it to this panel!