The European Network for Queer Anthropology (ENQA) was established spring 2013, and aims to promote communication, develop teaching materials, enhance mentoring, and to serve as a professional network for people who work on sexual and gender diversity from an anthropological perspective. ENQA also aims to serve the interests of anthropologists who self-identify in terms of non-heteronormative sexualities or genders, however defined, in offering resources, support, and community. Anyone can be an ENQA member but the primary intention is for ENQA to forge networking between those located in Europe, and/or who work on queer issues, broadly defined, in a European context.
Objectives
Academic: The network addresses the continued marginalization of sexuality and gender perspectives beyond those that are embedded in conjugal reproductive heterosexuality in contemporary anthropology. This is not withstanding the progressive work that continues to evolve in this field, but it is to propose new ideas and to contribute critically to ongoing debates concerning the centrality of a heteronormative perspectives underpinning much anthropological theory and practice, and the consequences for the advancement of queer scholarship within the discipline. The network will also offer and develop reading and teaching resources.
Social: ENQA aims to provide a social space wherein people can find professional and intellectual community, and informally address career and scholasticissues via coaching and mentoring regarding all facets of academic life.This space will be provided in terms of social gatherings at EASA meetings,and also through the development of an ENQA web-site(primarily on the EASA website), Facebook page and listserv, where member can share information, plan social events, organize e-seminars and so on.
Contact: enqaeasa(at)gmail.com
Career: The network also aims to be a resource for addressing employment issues and career strategies for students and scholars working on queer issues, and/or who are queer identified, particularly with a view to addressing issues faced by queer scholars in seeking employment in departments of anthropology, institutional exclusion and so on. Relevant issues include managing openness (being ‘out’), navigating equal opportunities policies in everyday academic life, sharing job vacancy advertisements, and exploring the relationship between prevailing heteronormative perspectives in anthropology and the marginalization of queer scholars and scholarship.