[Gala-l] CFP Euralex “Queer(ing) Lexicography: towards truly inclusive dictionary-making?”

[Łukasz Pakuła]

Dear all,

We invite abstract submissions for papers on the topic of “*Queer(ing)
Lexicography*” for the Euralex 2018 conference in Ljubljana, 17-21 July 2018


*We'd be grateful for forwarding this CFP to any potentially interested
individuals*


ABSTRACT:



The role of dictionaries in society at large has been theorized and
critiqued also with respect to hidden ideologies (e.g. Kachru & Kahane,
1995). Due to the fact that Unidentified Authorising Dictionaries (Moon,
1989) are often drawn on to legitimize and naturalize discriminatory
discourses, they have been subjected to critical linguistic scrutiny. While
feminist critique has yielded somewhat satisfactory results (Hoem Iversen,
2005), insights into constructions of sexuality are scarce (Pakuła, 2018).
The few studies exploring non-heterosexual aspects of macro- and
megastructures point to the inherent positioning of heterosexuality as an
unquestioned norm and thus – in the educational context – might inhibit
language learning, as is the case with textbooks and in-class interactions
(see Pavlenko, 2004; Nelson, 2009). Somewhat disappointingly, there seems
to be little resonance between what is done in the field of critical
applied linguistics and metalexicography, as each camp preaches to the
already converted (cf. Russell, 2012). This panel sets out to bridge these
two (seemingly distant) worlds.

“’Queer’ is one of a handful of terms in English that establish references
by opposition and exclusion, not just by simple description. That is,
instead of identifying properties that the object under discussion
contains, calling something ‘queer’ suggests that it is out of place in
some sense, that is excessive and overextended, that it disrupts and
subverts an otherwise tranquil domain.” (Leap 1996: 101). The tranquil
domain queer aims at disrupting and subverting in this panel is
lexicography and the related disciplines involved in the mono- and
interlingual dictionary-making. This panel on “Queer(ing) Lexicography”
(Nossem 2018) aims at showcasing possibilities to overcome the apparent
opposition between the anti-normative ‘queer’ that resists definition and
can be seen as a “linguistic experiment, namely as a signifier without a
stable signified” (Barrett 2002: 27), and the theory and practice of
lexicography, with its focus on definitions and classifications (Nossem
2018).

In accordance with Motschenbacher, who explains that “Queer Linguistics
transfers ideas from Queer Theory to linguistics” (2011: 6), we aim at
further developing the field of Queer Lexicography by uniting ideas and
concepts from Queer Theory and Queer Studies, and lexicography, i.e. by
integrating an interdisciplinary heteronormativity research in the field of
lexicography. By introducing queer approaches, and in the spirit of action
research (Burr, 1995) we want to question normalized practices in
lexicography, metalexicography, lexicology, semantics, corpus linguistics,
and other linguistic fields, especially in their relation to
dictionary-making. We propose to examine the linguistic manifestation of
heteronormativity and, connected with it, binary gender and sexual identity
discourses (Bing & Bergvall 1996 in Motschenbacher 2011: 21) as well as the
instrumental use of dictionaries in public and media discourses with view
of appreciating the multitude of sexual and gender identities of dictionary
users (and compilers).



Papers which address the following topics are most welcome:

-        Queer Studies and lexicography

-        Gender Studies and lexicography

-        Sexuality Studies and lexicography

-        Critical heteronormativity research in lexicography

-        (Anti-)normative approaches in lexicography

-        Manifestation of dominant and minority discourses in dictionaries

-        Dictionaries as authoritative tools

-        Power and ideology in dictionaries

-      Critical analysis of normative meaning definitions in mono-and
interlingual dictionaries

-        Queer approaches to semantics in relation to dictionary making

-        Queer approaches to corpus linguistics in relation to dictionary
making

-        Dictionaries in public and media discourses of non-normativities

Please send abstracts no longer than 300 words (excluding references) to
Eva Nossem (e.nossem at mx.uni-saarland.de) and Łukasz Pakuła (
l.pakula at gmail.com) by *26 November 2017*.



*References:*



Barrett, R. 2002. Is queer theory important for sociolinguistic theory? In
K. Campbell-Kibler, R. J. Podesva, S. J. Roberts, and A. Wong (Eds) *Language
and Sexuality. Contesting Meaning in Theory and Practice *(pp. 25-43).
Stanford California: CSLI

Bing, J. M., and V. L. Bergvall. (1996). The question of questions: Beyond
binary thinking. In V. L. Bergvall, J. M. Bing, and A.F. Freed (Eds.).
*Rethinking
Language and Gender Research. Theory and Practice.* (pp. 1-30). London:
Longman.

Burr, V. (1995). *An Introduction to Social Constructionism*. Routledge.

Hoem Iversen, S. (2005). “Her frequent quarrelling drove him to drink” –
Gender stereotyping in illustrative dictionary examples. *Språk Og
Språkundervisning*, *3*, 11–16.

Kachru, B. B., & Kahane, H. R. (1995). *Cultures, ideologies, and the
dictionary: studies in honor of Ladislav Zgusta*. Tübingen: Niemeyer.

Leap, W L. (1996). *Word's Out. Gay Men's English*. Minneapolis MN: U of
Minnesota Press

Moon, R. (1989). Objective or objectionable? Ideological aspects of
dictionaries. *English Language Research: Language and Ideology*, (3),
59–94.

Motschenbacher, H. (2010). *Language, Gender, and Sexual Identity:
Poststructuralist Perspectives*. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Nelson, C. D. (2009). *Sexual Identities in English Language Education:
Classroom Conversations* (1st ed.). New York: Routledge.

Nossem, E. (2018): Queering Dictionaries: Balancing Power Relations in
Dictionaries. In B. J. Baer and K. Kaindl (Eds.), *Queering Translation,
Translating the Queer. Theory, Practice, Activism*. New York: Routledge.

Pakuła, Ł. (2018). Dictionaries and heteronormativity: a look back. In Ł.
Pakuła (Ed.), *Linguistic perspectives on sexuality in education:
representations, constructions, and negotiations.* Houndmills, Basingstoke:
Palgrave Macmillan.

Pavlenko, A. (2004). Gender and sexuality in foreign and second language
education: Critical and feminist approaches. In B. Norton & K. Toohey
(Eds.), *Critical pedagogies and language learning* (pp. 53–71). Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.

Russell, L. R. (2012). This is What a Dictionary Looks Like: The
Lexicographical Contributions of Feminist Dictionaries. *International
Journal of Lexicography*, *25*(1), 1–29.
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