What Am I Doing Here? When Conference Acceptance Doesn’t Mean Conference Inclusion

Abstract

This chapter recounts negative experienc­es at academic conferences by one junior faculty member at a Southern California university. Discussion topics include her worries about the realities of conference attendance; care or lack thereof; public and private exclusion; and issues surrounding accessibility. In each section, the author of­fers recommendations for changes made by conference organizers and attendees toward making conference attendance more welcoming. Citing feminist rhetorical resilience (Flynn, Sotirin, and Brady) as a response to the adversity experienced by many attending academic conferences, the author also sees aspects of feminist resilience as reasons she is attracted to conferences and believes they are im­portant to her growth as a feminist scholar and to the growth of other scholars. While this chapter makes recommendations for academic conference organizers and at­tendees, it also serves a broader audience who can also benefit from considerations of ways BIPOC are excluded in public and private spaces, as well as ways those in attendance, or organizing large gatherings can be more considerate of issues sur­rounding access.