This post is part of our new Countdown to Conference (C2C) series. Are you attending conference? We would love to feature a brief blog post from you too! Visit our main Countdown to Conference page for details!

C2C: Social media and gender identity work
by Josie Anne Reade
Twitter: @JosieAnneReade

As a PhD candidate researching gender and the body, I was delighted to receive an invitation to present a paper at the 2017 GEA Conference hosted by Middlesex University in London. In my paper, ‘Assembling fitspirational bodies: Social media and gender identity work’, I will be sharing some of the emerging data from my PhD which explores how women experience their bodies and gender in relation to the digitally mediated ‘fitspo’ phenomenon. This paper will be highly theoretical as well as empirical and will directly relate to this year’s thematic emphasis on generative feminism(s). After the conference, I intend to submit a journal article for publication based on the paper I present and will also be writing a blog post for the GEA website reflecting on my conference experience.

One of Australia’s defining characteristics is its geographical isolation from the rest of the world. As an PhD candidate who wishes to achieve greater connectivity with scholars working in my field globally, this creates a significant challenge. Presenting at this conference will provide a unique opportunity to share and collaborate with scholars globally alongside my colleagues and supervisors traveling from Australia. Given my thesis draws upon relatively recent developments in feminist theory, such as feminist new materialism and the ‘affective turn’, this connectivity is imperative. Receiving feedback on the development of my ideas half way through my PhD candidature will moreover be extremely beneficial.

I look forward to attending the conference and sharing my work with the GEA community!

If you are attending conference, let us know on Twitter using the hashtag: #GEAconf2017