Latin

American and Caribbean Area Studies Program

Fourth Biennial Undergraduate Conference
Saturday, April 14th 2018
University Downtown Center, SUNY Binghamton University


Call For Papers:
Activism of the Mind: Producing Knowledge on Latin America, the
Caribbean and Diasporas

The Latin American and Caribbean Area Studies (LACAS) Program at Binghamton
University invites proposals for research presentations at our fourth biennial
undergraduate research conference. Undergraduates enrolled in any college or
university are invited to submit proposals to present their research and creative work,
which can be works in progress or completed projects. We welcome submissions on all
topics related to Latin America, the Caribbean, and people of Latin American and
Caribbean diasporas in any subject area. We particularly welcome original research and
creative projects that students have undertaken as part of their coursework, capstone
seminars, or theses.

The theme of this years conference is Activism of the Mind. Because activism begins
with thinking, students are encouraged to think of themselves as active and original
producers of knowledge about the past and present, out of which we generate
alternatives for the future. Activism of the Mind takes what we learn in our research, in
class, and in our personal experiences to think deeply and creatively about important
questions facing us today.

Presentations might address topics related to social movements, identities, diasporas,
migrations, borders, ethnicities, policing, indigenous peoples, human rights,
testimonials, violence, displacements, media, sexualities, resistance, social justice,
gender, race, ecology, colonialism, post-colonialism, and more.

This expansive field lends itself to asking questions from intersectional perspectives
since Latin America, the Caribbean, and their Diasporas are far from homogeneous.
Their multiplicity means a plethora of possible research methodologies as well as
political and activist approaches to the production of knowledge about Latin America,
the Caribbean and their peoples.

Please submit a brief (about 200) word abstract of your fifteen-minute conference
presentation, with your name, paper title, major, and college/university via email to
lacasconference2018@gmail.com by January 22nd 2018.