Umeå Centre for Gender Studies Visiting Address: The Social Sciences Building (Samhällsvetarhuset), fourth floor, Umeå University
Contact: Director Ann Öhman Phone +46 (0)90 - 786 92 19 E-mail: ann.ohman@ucgs.umu.se
Scientific Leader Britta Lundgren Phone: +46 (0)90-786 62 43 E-mail: britta.lundgren@kultmed.umu.se
Director of Studies, Graduate Level Ann-Louise Silfver Phone: +46 (0)90 – 786 52 97 E-mail: ann-louise.silfver@ucgs.umu.se
Director of Studies, Undergraduate Level Nea Mellberg Phone: +46 (0)90 – 786 76 30 E-mail: nea.mellberg@ucgs.umu.se
Educational Coordinator Monica Forsell-Allergren Phone: +46 (0)90 - 786 60 43 E-mail: monica.forsell-allergren@ucgs.umu.se
Economic Administrator Leila Lexelius Phone: +46 (0)90 - 786 59 77 E-mail: leila.lexelius@ucgs.umu.se
Umeå Centre for Gender Studies Umeå University
www.ucgs.umu.se
UCGS Umeå Centre for Gender Studies
Annual Report 2010
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Annual report 2010 Umeå Centre for Gender Studies
Content Annual report 2010 UCGS – Ann Öhman’s Editorial Three years of strong development Young but established- Report from the undergraduate education ”I am surprised that I have learnt so much” - Filippa Norberg studies Power and Gender B at UCGS The Graduate School for Gender Studies Big warm and generous – three words defining our Visiting Research trip to Australia! Field Research on the Thai - Burmese Border The Challenging Gender Programme and its Arena for Reflexivity and Theoretical Development Gender Studies continues to be one of Umeå University’s strongest research environments Umeå University and UCGS fight violence against women and children Honorary Doctor Gudrun Nordborg fights for victims of violence The UCGS Feminist Research Seminar Cooperation Lost and Found: Queerying the Archive – one of the biggest art events in Sweden 2010, in cooperation with UCGS Successful research exchange with the University of York A selection of guests – UCGS 2010 Board of UCGS
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Annual report 2010 UCGS – Ann Öhman’s Editorial
Ann Öhman, Director of UCGS Photo: Mikael Lundgren
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The year 2010 was an intense year at Umeå Centre for Gender Studies! It is not an easy task to choose among all the activities that have taken place during this year, but I will do my best to try to cover at least some of them. The well-established signature model of collaboration that gender studies at Umeå Center for Gender Studies has successfully used was further utilised during the year 2010. The research programmes ”Challenging Gender” and ”Quing” gathered a large number of researchers and the centre was enriched in its third year by a variety of research projects that involved a great amount of national and international collaboration. In addition, our guest professors arrived and settled in, which created possibilities for new collaborations and exciting courses and lectures. The increase in staff numbers has substantially contributed to the development of research topics, increased the gender competence at the centre and led to the 75% increase in the rate of publication that was observed between 2009 and 2010. The centre was appointed “A Strong Research Environment” at Umeå University for the time period 2011-2015. Of course, this translates into a great success for the centre, and will further enrich and develop gender studies in Umeå through junior posts, research activities and guest professors. One of the employees was awarded “Young Researchers Award at Umeå University” and external research grants were appointed to researchers at the centre. The basic level (first cycle) teaching in gender studies enjoys a good reputation and, according to the students, maintains a high level of quality. An increase in the number of foreign students at the advanced level (second cycle) is also encouraging. The graduate school for gender studies maintained its regular activities such as workshops, tailor made courses and seminars for the graduate students. Our goal to have PhD training in the topic of gender studies was postponed until 2012. In collaboration with Bildmuseet we arranged the exhibition ”Lost and Found – Queerying the Archive”. Gender researchers from the centre
Three years of strong development contributed with their expertise by giving lectures and taking part in public debates on topics related to the exhibition. The exhibition received a great deal of attention and many people came to see it. It was chosen as one of the most interesting cultural events in Sweden during 2010 by the national newspaper Dagens Nyheter. Researchers from the theme Violence in Challenging Gender arranged a public seminar entitled “Challenging Genderbased Violence in the World”. Two of this year’s honorary doctors participated; Gudrun Nordborg from the Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority (who UCGS had nominated as honorary doctor) and Denis Mukwege from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The theme researchers and the honorary doctors presented studies and evidence of how gender-based violence affects everybody in a society. The lectures attracted a large audience of around 300 people. And finally, UCGS successful popular scientific seminar series at the Book Café Pilgatan continued. This year with the theme “Swedish feminists” It is truly a pleasure being the director of this dynamic and developing venture! Ann Öhman
Director
When Umeå Centre for Gender Studies was founded in 2008, I had the privilege of becoming the first Chair of the Board. Then, only three years ago, UCGS had twelve employees who were trying to find routines for the new centre – moving to new offices and working hard to establish UCGS as a research and education environment in Sweden and the rest of the Jonas Sjöstedt world. Photo: Johan Gunséus Today, UCGS has thirty employees, millions of external funding and is one of Umeå University’s Strong Research Environments – a success story. We will expand even further during 2011 by appointing a full professor, two doctoral students in Gender Studies and several postdoctoral positions and senior lecturers. Gender Studies, and UCGS, plays an important role in raising awareness of gender issues in society. The urgent research on violence against women and children, the analysis of political reforms such as ”RUT-avdraget” (subvention of domestic services), the debate about ”honorary” culture and transnational family migration are a few examples of UCGS projects that are of great importance in relation to public debate. In my role as a member of the Swedish parliament, I can see how important this research is for politicians in making well-grounded decisions. The valuable knowledge that I have gained at UCGS has, among other things, resulted in two political bills in the parliament during 2010 alone: ”Mäns våld mot kvinnor” (Men’s violence against women) and ”En feministisk utrikespolitik” (A feminist foreign policy). 3
Although Umeå can be seen as geographically remote, Umeå University is definitely a central part of the international Gender Studies environment. UCGS has been appointed by the Swedish Research Council as one of the top three gender research environments in Sweden, and continuously works to expand the level of international cooperation. Of great support to this development is the Challenging Gender Programme’s International Advisory Board and UCGS’s three international guest professors. The internationalization effort has been fruitful. Researchers from UCGS have been guest editors in a special issue of the peerreviewed journal Violence Against Women. The centre has close contacts with the University of Adelaide, Australia, the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, University of York in the UK and many more, and The Graduate School of Gender Studies attracts PhD-students to its courses from all over the world. We now hope to further develop the opportunities for teacher/researcher exchanges, both to and from UCGS. When you visit the UCGS, it becomes clear why this is a successful research environment. There is a bustling debate between researchers from different scientific backgrounds during each coffee break – about questions of methodology, politics and the latest research results. The centre has an extensive and wellplanned seminar program, as well as close contacts with the municipality, the county council and different organizations in Västerbotten County. It is with great reassurance I look forward to the next three years with UCGS. Jonas Sjöstedt
Chair of the UCGS Board
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Young but established Report from the undergraduate education
It is about thirty years since the first courses in Women’s Studies were given at Umeå University, but less than ten years since we first began to give full-time undergraduate courses in gender studies. Our subject is young, but established. The courses are well known and they have a good reputation. One of the forces that drive our students is their great interest in gender issues. In addition, it is noticeable from the students’ study objectives that gender competence as a subject is not only becoming increasingly desired, but also translates into a useful qualification within society. Occasionally, I meet old students in different contexts and it always feels good, whether I meet them in the street or in more formal settings, which is now a possibility. It gives me a very special feeling to see my graduates in action, something that happened recently when I was a participant in an external training session that was very professionally conducted and organised by one of our former students. I felt so proud, and I had to stop myself from standing up and saying out loud to everyone: ”Hey, this competent young woman has studied gender studies with us!”
During 2010, we continued to consolidate the advanced level courses: “Gender, Welfare and Power”, “Gender and Social Sustainability: Critical Views and Practical Examples”, “Gender, Sex, Bodies: Theories and Debate” and “Gender Studies: Feminist Theories and Intersectional Analysis”. The two latter courses are presented exclusively in English. During the next academic year, we will give three courses in English. Our aim of recruiting more international students continues, as does our efforts to develop online courses. We are endlessly working towards an exciting future, with the goal of increasing student volumes while still maintaining the high quality of our courses!
Nea Mellberg
Director of Studies, Undergraduate Level Photo: Private
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”I am surprised that I have learnt so much” – Filippa Norberg studies Power and Gender B at UCGS Filippa Norberg graduated from high school and had not really planned to study at university. However, as she was interested in social science and equality issues, she decided to apply for Power and Gender A at Umeå Centre for Gender Studies. Now she is reading Power and Gender B and planning to take the C-course. – These courses have altered my view on life; I have begun to analyze everyday events in my life in a way that I did not do before. It has been a real eye-opener, says Filippa. The step from high school to university can be difficult sometimes, and Filippa remembers how this new way of studying took some time to get used to, – The first time I saw the literature list for Power and Gender A I was shocked. Were we supposed to read that much?! However, when you learn how to read efficiently it becomes much easier. You also have to realize that this is a full-time pursuit, and take responsibility for your studies. Now I am surprised that I have learnt so much in less than one year. During the A-course the students learned about the history of the women’s movement and its development during the twentieth century. – I understand feminism more now. I think that everything we have done so far has been interesting – perhaps the part about queer theory is the one I have liked best, says Filippa. Even though the class discussions sometimes include issues that can affect people strongly, Filippa has never felt uneasy. – We have discussed themes like sexuality and violence – issues that demand a lot from our lecturers. All our lecturers have, however, been professional, engaged and knowledgable – it feels like there is a big difference between this and high school. In addition, we are a group of students that have become good friends and together we can discuss the things that we have talked about in class. In the future, Filippa hopes to build her own degree with Gender Studies, Political Science and perhaps History of Science and Ideas. She would like to be a freelance writer – I think that everyone should read Power and Gender! It develops you on a personal level, and you really learn for life. You start to see the world differently, and your new knowledge makes you start to realize your own role in the world’s power hierarchies, says Filippa. 6
Filippa Norberg, undergraduate student at UCGS. Photo: Mikaela Nordstrรถm 7
The Graduate School for Gender Studies
The year of 2010 was filled with activities. The Graduate School for Gender Studies had the pleasure of welcoming three new doctoral students: Erik Sigurdsson, Maria Strömbäck and Tamara Andersson. There have also been five successful dissertation defences in 2010: Kajsa Gilenstam, Sports Medicine, Marie-Louise Snellman, Social Work, Johanna Sefyrin, Informatics, Masuma Novak, Public Health and Bodil Formark, History. The Graduate School for Gender Studies arranges intensive three-day or week-long meetings each term. These meetings play a crucial role in establishing a reciprocal interdisciplinary dialogue between the doctoral students as well as between the students and the teachers. In these meetings, the students are encouraged to present their own texts, such as their research plans or parts of their thesis. Two opportunities for intensive meetings were created in 2010 – one in Åmliden, and one at Olofsfors Bruk.
Intensive meetings: Åmliden in spring and Olofsfors Bruk in autumn In mid-May a three-day intensive meeting was held in Åmliden, which is located in the inland of Västerbotten County. Thirteen Ph.D students took part in the meeting along with the administrative coordinator Monica Forsell-Allergren, the director of studies Ann-Louise Silfver, coordinator Hildur Kalman, and Erika Alm, PhD (History of Science and Ideas) and Post Doctor at UCGS. The days were filled by the intensive discussion of the texts presented by both doctoral students and senior lecturers in seminars. In September the journey went to Olofsfors Bruk 8
where seven doctoral students joined the administrative coordinator, Monica Forsell-Allergren, the director of studies, Ann-Louise Silfver, Hildur Kalman, coordinator, and Maria Jönsson, Ph.D and Post Doctor at UCGS. During this intensive meeting workshops in writing and writing processes were the focus of attention.
Doctoral courses In May the course From sex roles to gender 7,5 ECTS credits started, and was held by Ph.D Åsa Andersson (History of Science and Ideas), and Ph.D and Post Doctor Johanna Overud (History). This course has a special position in our course selection because it provides a basic orientation for doctoral students who come from subjects in which a gender perspective and gender studies are not yet common academic tools. It also provides an insight into what gender studies can mean within different academic fields. The course has been revised several times and this occasion was the eighth time that it was given. The course Gender within the research process was developed to help foster a critical gender perspective in the process of constructing the different parts of a doctoral project (irrespective of the discipline). This course was now given for the third time, and led by UCGS teachers Linda Berg, Ph.D (Ethnology) and Post Doctor, and Sara Edenheim, Ph.D (History) and Research Fellow. The course also engaged teachers from the medical faculty, the social sciences and the humanities. Yet another tailor-made course was developed to address the so-called material turn within feminist
theory: On Materiality: making things, making sense 7, 5 ECTS credits. This course also began in May. The course was developed by Naomi Scheman, guest professor (Philosophy and Feminist Studies), and Marianne Winther Jørgensen, guest senior lecturer (Cultural Studies), along with Erika Alm. Besides these three teachers, Karen Barad, Ph.D in Theoretical Physics and Professor of Feminist Studies at UCGS, also took part as a guest teacher on this course. An individual study course led by Ph.D Åsa Gustafson (Sociology) was also given during the year: Intersectionality: A question of complex relations of power 7,5 ECTS credits.
National and international collaboration on courses The Graduate School for Gender Studies engages in national and international collaborative work in relation to doctoral studies with a gender orientation. This is carried out within the frameworks of the InterGender Research School (http://www.intergender.net/). In 2010 the doctoral students had the opportunity to take part in several courses that were given within these networks – one of which was organised by UCGS in collaboration with Gender and Medicine, Linköping University, and the InterGender Research School. The course Dialogues on Understanding Violence, Body and Ill-health was held at Olofsfors Bruk in September. This course was led and taught by Kerstin Edin, Ph.D and Research Fellow (Epidemiology and Global Health), along with teachers from
Gender and Medicine at Linköping University and two invited international guest teachers.
Workshops – for supervisors, and doctoral students During the year two workshops were organized for our supervisors. The first one was held in March: Workshop on interdisciplinary supervision. Professor Lena Trojer, who holds a chair in ICT and gender research at Blekinge Institute of Technology, led the workshop. In November the next workshop, which was open for supervisors as well as doctoral students, was held. It was entitled Publication strategies and its specific focus was on journals that publish articles with gender perspectives. This workshop was led by Professor Gabriele Griffin who is a member of the supervisors’ group and also a guest professor at UCGS.
Ann-Louise Silfver
Hildur Kalman
Director of Studies, Graduate Level
Coordinator
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Big warm and generous – three words defining our Visiting Research trip to Australia!
Saturday 16 October at 10.30 we are on our way, leaving Umeå below – more than 25 hours later we landed at Sydney airport tired but full of excitement. After planning our Visiting Research trip for months we set foot on Australian land. With stiff legs we entered the airport remembering the TV programs in which Australian customs officers control all the passengers’ luggage so that nobody brings in anything that is harmful to the unique Australian nature. But no, we had brought nothing harmful with us. Gunilla had even cleaned her shoes carefully so that no Åkullsjön-mud was to be found. And we were welcomed, welcomed like we would be for the rest of the trip. We found Australia to be full of nice people welcoming us everywhere. The last part of the travel went smothly and we arrived safely at the hotel where we were going to stay for three weeks. The hotel turned out to be better than we could ever have imagined. We had a fully equipped apartment that provided hotel standard and had a 24 hours open reception. Best of all, the hotel was situated only 200m from the University of Sydney where professor Connell, our host, was working. We had met Raewyn Connell before in Umeå, and the very next day after our arrival we met for the first time in Sydney. We planned our stay together with her. On top of meetings with her to discuss theoretical aspects of our own research, we were also going to meet other Australian researchers to broaden our knowledge of the ongoing international research. 10
Tony – our guide in the Australian bush, Toni Schofield – Assistant Professor at the University of Sydney and Ann Sörlin. Photo: Gunilla Stenberg.
The first meeting with professor Connell was friendly and warm. It was also warm figuratively speaking – nice and warm with the summer coming to Sydney. We had some reading to for our first meeting with
Connell, and we were brimming with the amazement that can be the result of a really good discussion. During the coming weeks our days were filled with visits to three various Campuses, lots of different research and a variety of exciting people. We were introduced to researchers that dealt with everything from physiological measurements of strain in the Achilles tendon, to the perception of whiteness, and they all had one thing in common and that was that they were all very interesting and very nice. There was also time for us to present ourselves and discuss our own research. These discussions led to new perspectives on our own research and to new thoughts. Gunilla presented her work in the Department of Physiotherapy in the Lidcombe Campus of the University of Sydney. The presentation was well received, and we learnt that Australian physiotherapists are not used to qualitative research or gender research, but they did see the need for such knowledge. That we were two persons who shared the impressions and experiences contributed a great deal to the knowledge we gained from this journey. In a way, it was a three week “gender graduate school seminar
group meeting”, and to get the opportunity to really finish discussions about gender theory related to our own and others research was really rewarding. We also took the opportunity to study other things when we were in Australia such as culture, architecture and wildlife. It was a great experience when we were invited to take a bush walk with some new research friends. On this walk we had the opportunity to sort out some of the impressions that we had accumulated during our stay and to ask new upcoming questions with them along the way. Unfortunately, we did not see any snakes only a huge lizard that crossed our path. We really recommend other Ph.D students to take the opportunity to forge new contacts and win new perspectives on their own research when they travel on an internationalization journey
Ann Sörlin and Gunilla Stenberg Ph.D students at The Graduate School for Gender Studies
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Field Research on the Thai - Burmese Border
Mae La refugee camp. Photo: Elisabeth Olivius
In my dissertation project, I explore how ideas and policies about gender equality in humanitarian assistance are interpreted and applied in protracted refugee situations in Asia, and more specifically among Burmese refugees in Thailand and Bangladesh. Obviously, the project entails a great deal of fieldwork that somehow needs to be funded. During 2010, I used my internationalization funds from UCGS to enable me to carry out part of my fieldwork in Thailand.   I spent most of my time in Thailand in the small 12
border town of Mae Sot, which lies a few kilometers west of the Burmese border and acts as a hub for the numerous humanitarian organizations that assist the refugees housed in refugee camps in the Mae Sot area. I met with representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, nongovernmental organizations, and refugee organizations to hear their views of the following issues: the meaning of gender equality as a political goal in this specific context, their role in promoting gender equality, and the social changes they considered
desirable. Indeed, the refugee camps form a highly dynamic context where a multitude of international and local actors interact, and where international and local conceptions of gender equality and visions for social and political change coexist. Sometimes this complex mix of actors and ideas gives rise to tension and conflicts that are linked to the promotion of gender equality, but at the same time local advocates for gender equality can actively draw on international norms and ideas to further their own struggle, and international links have enabled financial and institutional support for refugee women’s groups. Thus, the presence of international actors with a commitment to gender equality in the refugee camps in the Mae Sot area has both led to conflicts and to fruitful partnerships. However, it is often far from clear what an organizational commitment to gender equality really means in the field, and clashes between international and local actors have sometimes consisted of expressions of struggles over what the meaning of gender equality should be, and what kind of changes the promotion of gender equality should lead to. Other conflicts have revolved around issues of ownership, as international and local actors
sometimes have competing views on who can be a legitimate promoter of gender equality. Conducting fieldwork in this context entailed a number of challenges. Far from all actors are ready to share information with an unknown researcher, and it took time and networking to establish the degree of trust necessary for some meetings to even take place. This was especially so with regards to refugee organizations that had links to armed resistance movements in Burma, and who are under constant surveillance by both Burmese and Thai military intelligence. In retrospect, and despite the challenges, doing fieldwork has been a great experience. The fieldwork provided me with an opportunity to collect material unique for my study and to hear the views of people in very different positions and life situations. It has also been an opportunity to work and reflect on my research in a rather pleasant environment away from the distractions of everyday life at home. The support that I have received from UCGS, financially and academically, was an important factor that made my field research possible. Elisabeth Olivius Ph.D student The Graduate School for Gender Studies
A day in the office in Mae Sot, Thailand. Photo: Elisabeth Olivius 13
The Challenging Gender Programme and its Arena for Reflexivity and Theoretical Development
The overall goal for the research programme Challenging Gender is to become an internationally highly regarded Centre of Gender Excellence - a centre that is attractive to researchers worldwide. The work is built on three interrelated cornerstones: Interdisciplinary, Internationalization and Openness/Collaboration. Challenging Gender has been a springboard for development for UCGS as a whole and has made internal and external collaboration possible in a much more efficient way. Challenging Gender consists of five broad themes: democracy/social justice, emotions, violence, health and normalization processes. The five themes are connected by an Arena for reflexivity and theoretical development. The word “challenging” in Challenging Gender reflects the critical and urgent dimensions of the programme that are manifested by a strong emphasis on self-reflexivity and theoretical development: challenging gendered structures (law, health, school, social welfare, etc.), challenging existing knowledge, 14
challenging academic practice, and challenging gender theory. The organization of Challenging Gender and especially the systematized Arena work have attracted broad national and international interest and attention. Ever since the start of the programme in 2007 we have had special Arena-meetings four times each year (1-2 days on each occasion) and quite often these meetings have been combined with meetings with our international reference group. The aim for the arena is to produce intellectual coherence that enables synergy between the themes. The Arena provides the different theme researchers with further opportunities to present their ongoing work to other theme researchers, and to deepen the discussions and interdisciplinary challenges. From the beginning the work focused on different theoretical concepts, for example, contextualization, the sexgender distinction or theories dealing specifically with interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity. We
have also had text seminars and used different kinds of analytical inventions into the work of the theme groups. During 2009 and 2010 a more elaborated form for examining themes was created – “themes analyzing themes”. Researchers from each theme prepared their essential ”core statements” and ”core questions” to be used as a methodological “test” to work on texts from other themes. The following discussions resulted in an increased clarity and strength in the interdisciplinary collaborations and improved reflections about texts and research ideas. We have also made very concrete “hands-on” exercises, for example, the analyses of visual representations and unconventional research objects (one example is children’s fairytales). These exercises have clearly shown the differences between disciplines and themes and cast light on the constructive dialogue that could be the outcome of the exercises. A concrete example of the new interdisciplinary boundary work that has been established in the theme groups and in the Arena is the collectively ongoing writing of articles and books. Anthologies are at present being produced in the themes normalization, democracy/social justice and emotions. Collective work resulting in supplements to important journals
has been one important result in the Violence group. Some of the researchers in the programme have been very successful in initiating and developing the ideas from the arena. The Normalization group have introduced memory writing and the collection of key memories from the arena work on one of the arena meetings. This has also led to publications and further ideas on collective and experimental writing.
Britta Lundgren Scientific Leader, Umeå Centre for Gender Studies and Challenging Gender Photo: Mattias Pettersson
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Gender Studies continues to be one of Umeå University’s strongest research environments Together with 13 other research environments, UCGS has been appointed as a ”Strong Research Environment” at Umeå University. Each environment will receive funding from the university for five years, and the funding is to be used for new career employments, infrastructure and guest professors.
The criteria for a Strong Research Environment - The environment has a number of internationally competitive researchers. - The researchers at the environment have strong international research networks. - The researchers/research groups interact with each other, and there is a constant exchange of experience and ideas between the researchers. - The environment has common overall goals and visions. - Within the environment there is a systematic effort being carried out to develop and strengthen research and the recruitment and career development of young researchers.
Continued growth UCGS will receive seven million sek in extra funding from the university for the appointment, and this funding will last for five years. The money will become a part of a larger investment in the development of UCGS and the Gender Studies environment at Umeå University. During 2011, UCGS will advertise for one associate senior lecturer, six post-doctoral positions, one full professor in Gender Studies and one substitute 16
senior lecturer. In the beginning of 2011, the National Graduate School for Gender Studies will appoint seven new co-financed Ph.D positions, which means that the Graduate School will then have 32 students. The new positions will be co-financed with the departments of Informatics, Psychology, Law, Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Historical, philosophical and religious studies, Sociology and Political Science at Umeå University. UCGS will also appoint new international guest professors, and from 2013 the centre will be able to advertise for two Ph.D positions in Gender Studies.
Supporting gender researchers is a good investment In 2009 gender researchers at Umeå University could apply for funding from UCGS to get time to write research applications. The researcher was paid for a month or a couple of weeks. UCGS invested 500.000 sek to provide these researchers with this opportunity. When the investment was evaluated, it appeared that the application writing had resulted in 4.8 million sek in external funding! Because of this great success, UCGS will repeat this type of investment during 2011.
Umeå University and UCGS fight violence against women and children Three of Umeå University’s Honarary Doctors of 2010 fight to spread information and raise awareness about violence against women and children. UCGS arranged a seminar, Challenging Gender Based Violence in the World, in which researchers and honorary doctors discussed this urgent problem. Honorary Doctors Dr. Denis Mukwege and Gudrun Nordborg, and researchers Kerstin Edin, Public Health, Monica Burman, Law, Maria Emmelin, Epidemiology and Public Health and Ann Öhman, Public Health participated in the seminar. UnfortunaHonorary Doctor tely, Honorary Doctor Dr. Denis Mukwege. Photo: Private Margot Wallström could not attend the seminar. Honorary Doctor Dr. Denis Mukwege is a gynecologist and obstetrician. He is known in the world as a promoter of peace and human rights, and especially in association with the civil war in his country of birth, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He has made the world aware of the systematic use of sexual torture in the war, and is one of the founders of a hospital where thousands of abused women have been treated. Honorary Doctor Gudrun Nordborg is Head of the Information Office at The Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority in Sweden. In relation to her efforts to spread knowledge about research on genderbased violence, Gudrun Nordborg is an invaluable link
between the academia and the general public. The seminar filled the university assembly hall with an audience of more than 300 people. Pro-ViceChancellor Kjell Jonsson inaugurated the seminar, and Margareta Winberg, chair of the Karlstad University board and former Minister for Gender Equality in Sweden, moderated the discussion. After lectures from researchers and honorary doctors, there was a very interesting panel discussion about the importance of fighting gender-based violence, both in Sweden and in the rest of the world.
Honorary Doctor Gudrun Nordborg held a lecture at the seminar. Photo: Ellinor Ädelroth
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Honorary Doctor Gudrun Nordborg fights for victims of violence UCGS nominated Gudrun Nordborg, Information Manager at the Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority, as a Honorary Doctor of Umeå University 2010. She received her doctorship for her work with the spreading of research results and information about violence against women and children at the large annual celebration ceremony in October. Growing up in a non-academic home, Gudrun Nordborg was uncertain whether she would, or could, continue to study at a higher level of education. A teacher in public school saw that she had a talent for studying, and she received a scholarship for ”mindre bemedlade barn” (= less fortunate children) so that textbooks could be bought. After finishing her high school education, which was oriented toward mathematics, she was sent to a study counselor to get some advice about her future, – I did not have a clue about what I wanted to do! So to figure out what profession suited me, I was put through an extensive battery of tests: interviews, rorschach-testing, talent-test and much more. After days of testing, the counselor said, you should be a lawyer, take law classes at the university! I was ecstatic and decided then and there that law was the thing for me! Then a few weeks later, the counselor said that I had received an incorrect result from my tests – I was better suited to become a graphic artist. But, I had already made up my mind, says Gudrun laughing.
Volunteer in the Women’s Shelter Movement Gudrun Nordborg graduated with a Master of Laws from Lunds University in 1970. At a time when the vast majority of students in this line of education belonged 18
to the higher classes, Gudrun, with her working class background, was made aware of the importance of class, and the power that it bears with it. After getting her degree, she moved to Umeå to work at a district court and then at the Court of Appeals. Gudrun started to give lectures at the School of Social Studies in Umeå, and she became a lecturer at the then newly established Department of Law in 1977. – I became very involved in the Women’s Shelter Movement in Sweden, and did voluntary work there for many years. I was also involved in an important protest movement including an occupation of a beautiful house owned by the municipality to get a ”Kvinnohus” (= Women’s Shelter) in Umeå - a place where women who were abused by their cohabitant or husbands could come and stay in security for a period of time and also be offered various support, says Gudrun The engagement in the Women’s Shelter Movement, made Gudrun more and more interested in questions of violence and women’s as well as children’s rights. – The women that came to the shelters were often in great need of legal advice on many different matters, as the criminal case, child custody and division of property. There was of course a lot of emotional and practical work to be done, says Gudrun. To raise knowledge about these legal questions, as well as critique on lack of rights for women and children, she published a book “Kvinnorätt” (Women’s Rights) together with two female colleagues in 1990. This book made it more possible to create the course ”Kvinnorätt” at Umeå University in the early nineties. – It took some time to persuade the department to let me give the course. The resistance against gendered issues has continued to be rather strong, especially
if you dare to have the focus on different forms of violence. I also tried to make issues of gender equality and women’s rights a part of the Master Programme in Law, witch was at least partly successful. The Centre for Women’s Studies was founded at Umeå University 1987, and I was engaged and inspired from the beginning. I am proud of still giving lectures in the course “Power & Gender”, a course that resulted in a book with the same name in 1997.
Information Manager at a Unique Authority The interest for women’s rights grew, and Gudrun published several books on the subject. In 1999 she became Information Manager at the Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority in Sweden, an Authority with different responsibilities on crime victim’s rights and needs. Her duties include arranging conferences, seminars and further education for professionals in Sweden on crime victim issues. She also travels around Sweden and the world giving lectures about crime victims and their rights, and especially abused women and children. Her close association with the academia enables her to spread the latest research results about violence in in the conferences, seminars and further educations as well as in her own lectures. – Sometimes it can be hard to talk about the stories of these women – they are often far worse than you can imagine. Sadly, these women don’t get the same help in all parts of Sweden, and definitely not in all parts of the world. In Sweden, it is still too often a matter of luck if you meet a member of the police force or a social worker that is educated in these questions. However, I must say there have been great improvements in how aware authorities are about the problems that abused women go through, and that encourages me to spread the information even more. Gudrun Nordborg states that what also increases the urgency of raising awareness of violence against wo-
men and children is that it is still stigmatizing for the victim – If you are for example robbed, or a victim of assault at a bar, you can talk about it with your friends and co-workers. The women and children that are being psychical or sexual abused don’t talk about it, they feel shame Honorary Doctor Gudrun Nordborg and guilt and Photo: Leif Milling try to hide the violence. It is a very lonely and vulnerable situation to be in.
Time for the men Gudrun Nordborg feels very proud of her new title, Honorary Doctor. – I was so surprised when I was informed about the appointment, and my apartment was overfilled with flowers for weeks after the ceremony. And I have no intention to stop discussing and spreading knowledge on violence. Up till now we have focused the main part of our efforts on trying to help women and children as victims. I think that the next step we have to do is to focus more on the destructive parts of masculinity. As long as the man is the norm we can not see the masculinity as a problem. We need a female norm, and we have to make men start to talk about and reflect on violence and how it effects women, children and other men as well as society, says Gudrun Nordborg 19
The UCGS Feminist Research Seminar
The UCGS feminist research seminar has three aims: to follow the theory debate in the field, to invite Swedish and international scholars to present their research and to provide researchers and graduate students with the opportunity to present ongoing research. The seminar is open for gender researchers from all departments at the university. During 2010, post-doctors and research fellows Erika Alm, Katarina Andersson, Monica Burman, Maria Carbin, Catrin Lundström, Johanna Overud, Jenny Samuelsson and Erika Sörensson of UCGS presented their research projects. During the spring, and in collaboration with the exhibition Lost and Found: Queerying the Archive at Bildmuseet, the seminar continued the examination of gueer theory that began in the autumn of 2009. We compared queer theory with feminist theory, and investigated the different possibilities and limitations that the theories offered researchers in gender studies. Ulrika Dahl, among others, gave a seminar on the concept ”femme” and its implications for feminist theory. The seminar’s theme during the Autumn was transnational migration, a research field that is strongly represented at UCGS. UCGS also had the pleasure of being visited by Sofie Tornhill who presented her study of the impact of globalization on gender and class relations 20
Liv Saga Bergdahl, Jenny Berglund, Kerstin Munch, Eva Borgström Photo: Torbjörn Bergström
in Nicaragua. The gendered and aging body has also been the object for a couple of seminars. UCGS’s guest professors, Gabriele Griffin, Nira Yuval-Davis and Naomi Scheman, presented their research profile and current studies. In November, a workshop was held at the university about lesbian literature in Sweden with Liv Saga Bergdahl, Jenny Berglund, Eva Borgström, and Kerstin Munch. The workshop was organized in collaboration with Challenging Gender/Emotions. Kerstin Norlander
Senior Lecturer, UCGS
Cooperation
UCGS has an ongoing collaboration with Kulturföreningen Pilgatan (The Cultural Society Pilgatan). In the café Bokcafé Pilgatan (Book Café Pilgatan) lectures regarding current feminist research are given to members of the public. UCGS began a series of lectures in the Autumn of 2009 on the theme Svenska feminister (Swedish feminists), and this series continued during 2010. During the spring of 2010, Christina Carlsson-Wetterberg spoke about Frida Sténhoff, Katarina Leppänen spoke on Elin Wägner and Yvonne Hirdman talked about Alva Myrdal. The series ended with a debate on the current state of Swedish feminism. During the academic year 2010/2011, UCGS will be giving a new series of lectures on the theme of Swedish women authors. Maria Jönsson spoke about Kerstin Thorvall and Ann-Helén Andersson about Kristina Lugn. In November 2010, a workshop was held at the university about lesbian literature in Sweden and the participants, LivSaga Bergdahl, Jenny Berglund, Eva Borgström, and Kerstin Munch also presented their ongoing research at Bokcafé Pilgatan
Kerstin Norlander
Senior Lecturer, UCGS
Poster: Eva Skåreus
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Lost and Found: Queerying the Archive – one of the biggest art events in Sweden 2010, in cooperation with UCGS
of the artwork was memory and history in relationship to gender and sexuality. The exhibition was popular with almost 13.500 visitors, and the newspaper Dagens Nyheter listed it as one of the most important cultural events in Sweden during 2010. Researchers from UCGS held a number of lectures that were associated with the exhibition Lost and Found during the spring of 2010. These lectures were open to the public and issues associated with the body, memory and sexuality were addressed. Lost and Found - Queerying the Archive, curated by Jane Rowley and Louise Wolthers, was one of the largest exhibitions at Bildmuseet (= Umeå Art Museum) in 2010. The exhibition was presented at Bildmuseet in close collaboration with Umeå Centre for Gender Studies and was accompanied by a series of seminars, artist’s talks and lectures. The exhibition, which was produced in collaboration with Nikolaj Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center and UCGS, displayed the artwork of 13 international contemporary artists. The main focus 22
The open lectures: Lost and Never Found – the Desire for a Documented Past as a Problem for the Future Talk by: Sara Edenheim The Need for One Sex – About Our Inability to Understand People with Atypical Bodies Talk by: Erika Alm Lost in translation? From mödomshinna to slidkrans Talk by: Monica Christianson Studio Vilgefortis Conversation between: Heidi Lunabba and Anna Rådström
Jane Rowley & Louise Wolthers Photo: Eva Skåreus
Lost and Recovered – About Exhibitions’ Stories and Spectators’ Experiences Conversation between: Jennie Forsberg and Eva Skåreus
Tejal Shah Photo: Mattias Andersson
Seminars: The exhibition started with an opening seminar on the subject ”Queer in Theory and Practice”. Three of the artists who participated in the exhibition – Mary Coble, Conny Karlsson and Tejal Shah – presented their work. Malin Rönnblom, Political Scientist and lecturer in Gender Studies, gave an introductory lecture about queer theory, and the curators Jane Rowley and Louise Wolthers talked about the exhibition. Lost and Found was closed with a seminar by artists Cecilia Barriga, Aleesa Cohene och Benny Nemerovsky Ramsay. Dr Gavin Butt from the Department of Visual Cultures, Goldsmiths, University of London and Ulrika Dahl, lecturer in Gender Studies specialized in Anthropology at Södertörn University, also gave a lecture.
Mary Coble Photo: Mattias Andersson Performance artist: Mattias Olofsson Photo: Mattias Andersson
Gavin Butt Photo: Mattias Andersson Cecilia Barriga Photo: Mattias Andersson 23
Successful research exchange with the University of York
UCGS Post Doctors Erika Alm and Maria Jönsson Photo: Linda Berg
Seven researchers from UCGS were invited to the Centre for Women’s Studies (CWS) at The University of York, UK, for a workshop that took place between the 28th and 30th of October. CWS is the home department of UCGS’ visiting professor Gabriele Griffin. During two intense days, the Swedish and English participants shared their research projects with each other. The Swedish and British centres’ participants’ presentations encompassed a wide range of research areas. There were also researchers from other British Universities present at the workshop. One of them was Petra Nordqvist from the 24
Morgan Centre for the Study of Relationships and Personal Life at the University of Manchester. Petra Nordqvist has studied at Lunds University, but completed her Ph.D at the University of York, and she could provide valuable advice to the Swedish researchers. The group also listened to a presentation on auto-biographical writing by professor Mary Evans from the London School of Economics. There was a large degree of interest in continuing the exchange between the two universities; several York-based participants wanted to know how they could visit UCGS, and one of the Umeå researchers will work as a visiting researcher in York during 2012. The Centre for Women’s Studies at York was founded in 1984, and is among Britain’s most well-established bases for feminist and genderoriented teaching and research. The centre has an average of 55 post-graduate students each year. The age of these students varies, they come from different disciplinary backgrounds and a number of them are overseas students The University of York is nicely situated, with several historical buildings. England also showed itself at its best, with sunny autumn days. During the stay there was a much-appreciated and impressive light show that originated from a Cathedral in the centre of York. On one of the evenings the UCGS researchers were invited to dinner at Gabriele Griffin’s house, and they also had the chance to try one of York’s excellent Indian restaurants.
A selection of guests – UCGS 2010
Associate professor, Eva Borgström, Department of Literature, History of Ideas and Religion, University of Gothenburg
Ph.D Katarina Leppänen, Department of Literature, History of Ideas and Religion, University of Gothenburg
Ph.D Jenny Björklund, Centrum for Gender Studies, Stockholm University
Associate professor Carina Listerborn, Malmö University
Professor Christina Carlsson-Wetterberg, School of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, Örebro University Associate professor Ulrika Dahl, School of Gender, Culture and History, Södertörn University
Honorary Doctor, Dr Denis Mukwege, Panzi Hospital, Bukavu, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Associate professor Kerstin Munck, Stockholm
Lecturer Ann-Charlotte Ek, Malmö University
Ph.D Sofie Tornhill, Department of Political Science, Stockholm University/Lateinamerika-Institut, Freie Universität, Berlin
Hannele Harjunen, Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä
Margareta Winberg, Chair of the Karlstad University board and former Minister for Gender Equality in Sweden.
Professor emerita Yvonne Hirdman, Department of History, Stockholm University
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Board of Umeå Centre for Gender Studies 2010
Board of UCGS • Former EU-parliamentarian Jonas Sjöstedt, external chair • Professor Britta Lundgren, Vice President • Professor Åsa Gunnarsson, Representative of Faculty of Social Sciences • Associate Professor Lena Eskilsson, Representative of Faculty of Arts • Professor Katarina Hamberg, Representative of Faculty of Medical Sciences • Professor PO Erixon, representative of Umeå School of Education • Professor Sara de Luna, Representative of Faculty of Science and Technology • Strategic Development Director Aurora Moberg, external member • Lisa Harryson, Medical Student Union • Director Ann Öhman, co-opted • Elin Kvist, SACO union, co-opted • Leila Lexelius, OFR-S union, co-opted • Monica Forsell-Allergren, Secretary of the Board, co-opted
Editor: Elin Andersson Cover and Graphic design: Eva Skåreus Print: Print & Media, Umeå University, 2011 26