Historically used in English as an insult, the term " queer » (in French “bizarre”, “abnormal”) has been the subject of reappropriation by sexual and gender minorities for several decades, and has gained visibility in the media and academic space in recent years. In the cultural field, this interest has resulted in the multiplication of initiatives (exhibitions, conferences, etc.) inspired by contemporary reflections on sexuality, gender, intersectionality and the storytelling of community cultures. Through this study day, we wish to question the capacity of institutional heritage actors to enrich or promote these reflections, and to integrate these subjects into their professional practices. This day, conceived as a space for sharing, training and exchange, is original in that it poses these questions for all heritage specialties — archaeology, archives, inventory, museums, historical monuments and scientific, technical and natural heritage — and to promote institutional and associative initiatives, both territorial and national and international.

Many contemporary productions in literature and the human and social sciences reinvest the motif of the dream as a way of life in the so-called Anthropocene era. The renewed interest in animism considers the multilaterality of imaginaries and epistemologies in the context of a global environmental crisis, which would place the West in a community of destiny with so-called non-modern populations. This would then lead Europe, if not to provincialize its knowledge, at least to reinvent it. The dream then appears, by borrowing from alternative cosmologies, as a modality of "reconnection" for which writing offers the laboratory. 

The little-explored articulation between breasts and biomedicine raises fundamental questions about the corporeality linked to this physical attribute. This issue has so far been largely understudied in academic research, particularly in its specific dimension, outside of a more global context involving other parts of the body and bodily practices (Froidevaux-Metterie, 2020). The questions raised by breasts, however, are directly in line with the norms of femininity associated with them, as well as theories of the performativity of gender norms (Butler, 1990). Since the 1960s, various biomedical interventions have emerged, including therapeutic procedures such as mastectomy for medical reasons, as well as reconstructive interventions after oncological treatment. In addition, cosmetic breast surgeries and gender transition surgeries have also become common. This day aims to establish a dialogue between studies in the human and social sciences (HSS) on the social and gendered representation of breasts and medical practices, by examining their role in perpetuating or challenging body stereotypes associated with femininity. In this perspective, we are in line with analyses on the involvement of medicine in the construction of sexed and gendered bodies (Fassin, Memmi and Collectif, 2004; Foucault, 1963, 1976). The works presented highlight the experience of individuals concerned by this specific corporeality, thus highlighting the identity aspect of the female body (Young, 1992; Fortier, 2021).

Following on from the first two young researchers' seminars organized, the first in 2022 on the theme "Gender and sources. Reading, rereading, misreading" and the second in 2023, entitled "Gender and heteronormativity in sources: representations and transgressions of the heterosexual injunction", this third seminar wishes to focus on the methodological approaches of gender studies through the prism of heteronormativity. The aim is to question the research methods that make it possible to re-evaluate a vision of gender identities and sexualities that is both dualistic and deterministic, directly challenging essentialist conceptions of sexual division.

The coloniality of power remains active on a global level, but how can it be dismantled? The seminar “Decolonizing Thought: Indigenous Perspectives” starts from postcolonial and decolonial theories with a view to constituting a space for the convergence of thoughts and struggles with the radical Other against which Modernity was built: the “Amerindian” (Toledo 2021; Blanco, Delgado 2021). We wish to go further, by inviting representatives of indigenous peoples from various continents to the seminar sessions. Given the exclusion of indigenous peoples from the architecture of power and modern reason, the co-construction of a world with the political vision of indigenous peoples is likely to constitute the radical alternative envisaged (Quijano 2020). The seminar aims to reflect on the construction of its implementation.

What are the links between gender and climate? How does climate change create, reveal or accentuate gender inequalities? What can be done to take these issues into account and respond to them effectively, particularly in France? 

In this two-part conference, a group of specialists and political leaders will meet to answer these questions (and yours!) in a multidisciplinary, committed and open-to-debate approach. 

A year ago now, the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) published the report “Gender Inequalities, Climate Crisis and Ecological Transition”. By identifying the gendered injustices of the environmental crisis, this work presents twenty-four recommendations proposing solutions to build a sustainable society that respects gender equality. 

The conference will be chaired byHelena Alviar Garcia, Professor at the Sciences Po Law School and moderated by Maxime Forest, political scientist at Sciences Po, specialist in gender policies.