The twentieth International Medieval Congress will
take place in Leeds, from 1-4 July 2013.
If you would like to submit a session or paper
proposal for the IMC 2013 complete the IMC Online Proposal Forms. These forms
will become available from 1 May 2012.
Paper proposals must be submitted by 31 August 2012;
session proposals must be submitted by 30 September 2012. Hard copies of the
proposal forms are available on request after 16 July 2012.
If you would like to apply for an IMC bursary, to help
with the cost of the Registration and Programming Fee, accommodation and meals
at the IMC, please complete the online Bursary Application Form, which will
also become available from 1 May 2012. You should submit your Bursary
application at the same time as your paper or session proposal.
Call for Papers/Sessions - International Medieval
Congress 2013
The IMC seeks to provide an interdisciplinary forum
for the discussion of all aspects of Medieval Studies. Paper and session
proposals on any topic related to the European Middle Ages are welcome.
However, every year, the IMC choses on specific special thematic strand which -
for 2013 - is 'Pleasure'.
Pleasure is a universal human experience, but its
components, evaluation, and meaning, and the contexts in which it is, or is
not, a legitimate feeling and form of behaviour vary according to cultures and
among individuals. Pleasure can be brought on by sensory stimulation, by
aesthetic appreciation, by practising an activity, by sharing a common
experience with others - or even all of these together (as in the case of the
experience of sexual love). The crucial importance of pleasure in medieval
living, as well as its multiple facets, constitute the reasons why the IMC has
chosen for its special thematic focus for 2013:
Pleasure
Medieval Christianity had a specific cultural attitude
towards pleasure, with a strong focus on the division of this world and the
afterlife. Pleasure was often either spiritual or corporeal, although sometimes
seen as both (as in the mystical/ecstatic experience). Earthly pleasures were
first and foremost associated with sin and damnation, and even posed a threat
to health, while spiritual pleasures contributed towards salvation and a more
harmonious life. The attitude towards pleasure was ambiguous: w ith the threat
of the devil on one side, and the enticement of heaven on the other, pleasure
was linked to both joy and pain . Questions around pleasure were posed in
philosophical and theological debates throughout the Middle Ages. Pleasure was
nonetheless an experience commonly and eagerly sought for - in all its forms
and by all social groups, in and outside Christendom. Aristocratic life is
particularly represented as a culture of pleasure in both iconography and
literature. The balance between celestial and terrestrial values was
renegotiated in the late medieval period, so that pleasure became an aspiration
for all.
Areas of discussion could include:
• Diverging
cultural attitudes toward pleasure
• Pleasure in
non-Christian contexts
• Earthly
pleasure versus spiritual pleasure
• Visual and
narrative representations of pleasure
• Social and
corporeal manifestations of pleasure
• Pleasurable
activities
• Individual
and collective experiences of pleasure
• Prohibition
and condemnation of pleasure
• Chastity,
celibacy, fasting, and abstinence
• Love /
sexuality / pleasures of the flesh - and their specific cultural expressions
• Medical
theories and approaches to pleasure
• Mysticism,
spirituality, and pleasure
• Creating
and/or experiencing pleasure
• Entertainment
and leisure
• Humour and
fun
• Material
culture and evidence of pleasure
• Pleasure and
luxury / cultural goods / worldliness