Session: #142

Theme & Session Format

Theme:
1. Archaeologists and Archaeology Here and Now
Session format:
Regular session

Title & Content

Title:
Gender Archaeology at the Crossroads: The Future and Its Challenges [AGE]
Content:
Currently, there is little agreement amongst archaeologists as to whether gender archaeology is a mainstream part of our discipline or not. Moreover, in the light of approaches which favour an embodied approach, the relevance of gender as an analytical tool for the understanding of past societies and identities has been called into question. On the one hand there are numerous publications that explicitly (or less so) refer to gender issues. On the other hand, however, the effectiveness of these publications, and their underpinning research, remains limited and in recent years their assumptions have been challenged by neo-liberalist ideology.

The proposed session seeks contributions addressing the following questions:
What is the current situation regarding gender archaeology taught courses, academic publications, or conference presence?

Are traditional gender stereotypes and androcentric interpretations persisting to this day in archaeology?

One of the scopes of gender archaeology is raising awareness about issues of equal opportunities and safety in the profession. Is there today a noticeable change in professional archaeology regarding equal access to employment, equal pay, and opportunities for career advancement for women and members of the LGBTQ+ community?

Is the portrayal of a genderless past consistent with the scope of gender archaeology?

How do we respond to approaches which replace the relevance of gender in archaeological interpretations in favour of unique embodied experiences of past identity?

How effective is the influence of neo-liberalist ideology in minimising the relevance of deeply embedded social structures (such as gender) and the limitations imposed on social subjects by economic or political interests?

How can we accommodate anthropological evidence for a predominance of binary gender systems in gender-focused archaeological research?

How do we view the way forward for gender archaeology and what should its role be?
Keywords:
future of gender archaeology, equal opportunities, genderless past, embodied experience, neoliberalism
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:
AGE

Organisers

Main organiser:
Bisserka Gaydarska (Bulgaria) 1
Co-organisers:
Maria Mina (Greece) 2
Affiliations:
1. Manchester Metropolitan University
2. University of the Aegean