CRISSE workshop at the Return to the Roots conference on 2.–3.5.2024

Return to the Roots 2024 Conference will be held on May 2nd-3rd, 2024, at the University of Tampere. CRISSE will participate in the conference with the Roots and Futures of Sexuality Studies workshop, which will meet twice during the conference. Learn more on the conference website and explore our workshop description and presentations below. Registration for the conference is open until April 11th, 2024.

Roots and Futures of Sexuality Studies

Sexuality studies is a dynamic interdisciplinary academic field exploring various aspects of human sexuality. This field encompasses a wide range of topics, including cultural, historical, psychological, social, political, and biological aspects of sexuality, including how sexualities have been represented in and produced by arts, media, and other cultural representations. Scholars and researchers in sexuality studies examine how sexuality is understood, experienced, and expressed in different societies and contexts. In Finland, sexuality studies have had very few own organizations, events, or networks, and scholars working on sexuality-related topics have often found their place among scholars of gender studies, critical studies of men and masculinities, queer studies, and trans studies.

We invite researchers whose work focuses on studying sexuality from humanities or social science perspectives, regardless of the specific academic discipline, to join our workshop. This workshop represents an opportunity to engage with the complex and crucial questions of sexualities. Presentations in Finnish, Swedish, or English are welcome, and they may address empirical questions of sexuality, theories and concepts in sexuality studies, as well as topics such as cultural and historical perspectives, the social construction of sexuality, intersectionality, sexual health and education, political and activist dimensions, queer studies, and beyond. Likewise, presentations mapping the developments in the field of sexuality studies are welcome.

The workshop organizers are part of the new Critical Sexuality Studies Network (CRISSE), established at the University of Turku, which is open to researchers focusing on diverse sexuality-related issues.

May 2, 2025
13:00–14:30

Roots and Futures of Sexuality Studies (1)
Kaisa Ilmonen, Sanna Spisak, and Riikka Taavetti
Location: Päätalo A2b

Kate Sotejeff-Wilson: How Long till Queer Future Month?
Tarja Orre: Politics of Transgression in Edith Södergran’s Dikter
Mikko Kemppainen: Intersektionaalinen näkökulma uskontoon ja seksuaalisuuteen 1900-luvun alun naissosialistien aatehistoriassa

May 3, 2024
14:00–15:30

Roots and Futures of Sexuality Studies (2)
Kaisa Ilmonen, Sanna Spisak, and Riikka Taavetti
Location: Päätalo A2b

Mayara Araujo Caetano: Producing user-generated porn from sex game
Aino Koskenniemi: Your body, your data, your choice? A research on alternative menstrual tracking applications
Satu Venäläinen & Matti Pihlajamaa: Sukupuolinormien haastamisesta ja muutoksen tuskastuttavasta hitaudesta: sateenkaarinuoret ja seksuaalisen häirinnän vastustus