James E. Smith Midwest Conference on World Affairs coordinator, 308.865.8944
The history and transformation of feminism in India will be the focus of “Transnational Feminism,” a speech presented as part of the James E. Smith World Affairs Conference at the University of Nebraska at Kearney on Friday, Feb. 16.
The featured speaker for the event is Dr. Sangeeta Ray, associate professor of English at the University of Maryland.
Dr. Ray will begin her talk at 4 p.m. in the Nebraskan Student Union Cedar Room, and the event is free and open to the public.
According to Dr. Nyla Khan, UNK assistant professor of English, Dr. Ray’s presentation will deal with the impact of Postcolonial feminism.
Dr. Khan said Postcolonialism refers to a historical transition period around the mid-20th century following the decline of the European empires. She said that when the colonial powers left, the people of many Asian, African and Caribbean states were “left to assess the cultural, linguistic, legal and economic effects of colonial rule, and create new governments and national identities.”
Issues that Dr. Khan said will be addressed in Dr. Ray’s presentation include the approach of Postcolonial women writers’ towards feminism, the perspective of Western feminists in regards to “Third-World” feminisms, the reach or boundaries of feminism, and how conflicting class and economic interests affect the positioning of women in Postcolonial and Western nations.
The co-founder and president of the Modern Languages Association (MLA) Discussion Group on Postcolonial Literature, Dr. Ray is an MLA delegate for the Division of English Literature Other than British and American.
Dr. Ray won a university-wide teaching award in 1992 and was named the University of Maryland Woman of Color of the Year in 1997.
In addition to her book, En-Gendering India: Woman and Nation inColonial and Postcolonial Narratives, Dr. Ray has published 15 articles in journals such as Gender and Language, Modern Fiction Studies, Ariel and Genders. She is currently an editorial consultant for Feminist Studies.
