Feminist theory and the art of reading – a workshop 

Jenny Helin & Alison Pullen

NTNU Kalvskinnet (Room U302)

This workshop creates a space to contribute to and build feminist communities, whilst also respecting the need for developing feminist theory in Organization Studies that reflects and observes the challenges of our times. For it is through theory that radical transformation of ourselves and contexts can occur – theory carries political possibilities as feminist theorists have long shown us. Recently, in a conversation on killjoys between Sara Ahmed and Judith Butler, Ahmed says ‘concepts can be craft … which are shaped and sharpened by use [and] provide materials to help us to do our own work’i: 

To be in conversation with someone else’s work over a sustained period of time can be a queer kind of intimacy, you are not on the same page but you catch something, a thought or an idea that does not come to you with crisp edges, as clarity or revelation, but more slowly or gradually in turning the pages, by sustaining the engagement. Perhaps how we write together sometimes in proximity, sometimes not, is another way of talking about the project of living together (Sara Ahmed, 2023: no page). 

Together we will discuss the importance of theory for feminist communities, including how to read theory, both the theories that are already written as well as those that we are in the process of writing. Feminist theory has been central in developing organizational knowledge, developing theories of power and ethics for example. Building on the tradition established by feminist scholars of coming together, this workshop has an explicit focus on developing close readings of classic feminist theories. 

In practical terms, we will 1) Share our readings of classic feminist texts which read theory closely and develop theory, 2) Reflect the relationality of reading-writing, 3) Write a feminist text and/or get some fresh air. 

The workshop will last three hours and welcomes those of you who are curious to learn more about feminist work as well as already established feminist researchers. If you want to participate in the workshop, you are warmly welcome to send an e-mail and register your interest to Jenny and Alison at jenny.helin@fek.uu.se or alison.pullen@mq.edu.au, before October 15. 

In developing a feminist space, the readings will be determined by the group and all readings will be shared with the group. Workshop to be capped at 15 people.