Dear SSJ-Forum member,
The Department of East Asian Studies - Japanese Studies at the University of Vienna would like to draw your attention to the upcoming online u:japan lecture:
 
Ilse Lenz:
"Feminisms in Japan in transnational longterm perspective"
 
Date and time: Thursday, June 13, 2024, 18:00~19:30 (CEST, UTC +2h)
 
Online: Join the lecture via Zoom (no registration necessary):
https://univienna.zoom.us/j/65487669372?pwd=NlNxd21OVWpsNFBhMTFZVFVJTFNhZz09
Meeting-ID: 654 8766 9372 | PW: 418234
 
Abstract: Feminisms in Japan are still largely ignored in public or academic debate internationally. Also, feminism is often termed as 'Western' and framed as a contradiction or threat to 'traditional' domestic values as in present antifeminism worldwide. Thus, feminisms in Japan have a singular and crucial meaning in international perspective: They developed as an autonomous force selecting international impulses (for example equality, participation and female eros) and locating them in their context. And they were confronted with Japan's singular development which was threatened by Western colonialism and transformed into a colonizing imperialist nation. They raise the issues of feminist autonomy in diverse cultural contexts and postcolonial critical memory. This lecture by Ilse Lenz (University of Bochum, Germany) will look at the diverse currents and transformations of feminisms in Japan in transnational longterm perspective aiming to overcome hegemonic eurocentric and nipponcentric views. They have developed over 140 years in a continual line which is different from the Western model of the first, second and third wave. But they have proceeded with radical self-reflexive transformations reacting to fundamental challenges. From their start in the 1880ies, they were confronted with defining new concepts of women and gender, with intersectional inequality and with locating themselves in the nation and world society. In this changing context, they developed different discourses and practices between establishing new legitimate gender terms or deconstructing feminity / gender or between cooptation to nationalism or radical critiques of imperialism. Following a short summary until the 1970ies, Ilse Lenz will focus on the trajectories of new feminisms after the lib movement. This will be concretised by looking at the debates around gender and women, intersectionality and the postcolonial critique of Japan's international responsibility and feminist exchange in East Asia as in the comfort women issue.
 
For more information on the speaker, the lecture and future events at u:japan, please follow the link below:
https://japanologie.univie.ac.at/ujapanlectures/
 
We look forward to your participation!
Christopher Kummer, Florian Purkarthofer, Elisabeth Semmler, Astrid Unger and Ralf Windhab
 
PS: If you missed a lecture or want to review, head to our recorded lectures section:
https://japanologie.univie.ac.at/ujapanlectures/records/
 
u:japan lectures
Department of East Asian Studies / Japanese Studies at the University of Vienna
E-mail: ujapanlectures.ostasien@univie.ac.at
 
Kindly sponsored by the Toshiba International Foundation:
https://www.toshibafoundation.com/