Vote on Conference Title and Theme by Friday September 30th at 4PM

Ladies and gentlemen, the conference topic and titles have been narrowed down and we are ready to put it to a vote. Please vote by commenting here or by emailing PISA PISA0506@yahoo.com. We need all the votes in by 4 pm Friday September 30th!

1) "The Arts, Society and Culture: The Necessity of Humor in the Academy and Beyond"

Literary critic and master rhetorician Kenneth Burke stated “the comic analysis of exploitation prompts us to be on the lookout also for those subtler ways in which the private appropriation of the public domain continues.” Within society, a tragic frame of reference is often used to exclude members and groups from the wider workings of society as well as creating of these groups and individuals a scapegoat. How can humor successfully be used to correct the tragic frame and offer a new perspective by incongruity? What role should academia play in exploring the power of humor in the face appropriation of groups and individuals? How can humor work to alter the tragic frame in film, television, music, literature and theatre? Is humor an effective tool in combating injustice or, instead, does it tend to belittle the importance and seriousness of injustice?

2) "The Arts, Society and Culture: Humor in the face of catastrophe/tragedy"

During times of catastrophe and within frames of tragedy, comedy and humor have offered therapeutic outlets for individuals and society. What rhetorician and literary critic Kenneth Burke referred to as the “comic corrective.” The comic and humorous have also served as effective means of protest. In which ways do the arts, society and cultures utilize humor to represent and/or relieve the tensions of tragedy? How is humor used by the arts and by different cultures to protest events and socialinequalities? Can humor be an effective means for social change as well as a medicine for our woes?

3) "The Arts, Society and Culture: Intersections of Class, race and Gender"

How do the intersections of race, class, and gender inform historical, sociological, linguistic, literary, and media studies? This conference will provide avenues of discussion relating to ethnic, class and sexual identity, collective consciousness, collective action, as well as the contribution that academic research can bring to such issues. True to its interdisciplinary nature, PISA will welcome speakers from the academy as well as community activists and journalists. The goal of this conference would be the creation of a dialogue toward the discovery and promotion of new insights on how definitions of race, class, and gender affect academic and public discourse.

4) “The Arts, Society and Culture: Education, in the classroom and beyond" (Although we are not absolutely sure what Anonymous wanted with this suggestion, here is our two cents)

How can education be utilized in the classroom and beyond to promote the arts and cultural diversity? What role should formal education play in promoting the arts and cultural diversity? What is the role of society in fostering cultural awareness?

5) "The Arts, Society and Culture: Protesting Faces of War in America"

In today's late capitalist society, the idea of war has brought on new struggles to define contemporary society. Old definitions of war no longer hold truth for today's populations. Today, wars are fought, not only abroad against foreign "declared" enemies, but within contemporary society against poverty, hunger, environmental degradation, terrorism, natural disasters, and disease. Surprisingly, states no longer play authoritative roles in these wars-the wars of individuals, families, communities, villages and academic institutions. Just what wars exist today in contemporary society and how the arts, society, and culture can rise up to fight them individually and collectively-protesting faces of war in America?

6) "An Annual Graduate Conference instead of a Themed Conference"

Instead of a themed conference and the attendant worry of whether the theme is too narrow or too broad to draw appropriate interest, how about developing it into an annual graduate conference in comparative studies? A graduate conference would draw paper presentations from grad students around the country, presenting in arts, humanities, cultural studies, social issues, social sciences, all the interdisciplines represented in our program. The University of California-Riverside has a good model in its annual disjunctions conference in the humanities. There are 50-100 panels over two days of a weekend when there are lots of rooms available on campus. They also schedule a student film festival, performances/readings and an art exhibit. Their keynote speaker this year was from a neighboring institution. A multi-disciplinary graduate conference would require coordination and involvement from many departments; it might give our program a stronger working relationship with a broader array of faculties and students at FAU.