There have been many attempts to imagine utopian societies, but these efforts often focus on changes to the public sphere; to how we work, how society is structured, and how we will be governed. Less attention has been directed to changes in our intimate lives. This workshop aims to explore the future of intimacy in all its forms - from friendship, family life, romantic relationships or collegiality. What does good intimacy look like? What social, legal, cultural, or personal changes are required to enact these futures? How are we currently being held-back? Is utopian intimacy possible?
We invite proposals of no more than 500 words, for a presentation of approximately 30 minutes, to engage with the utopian politics of intimacy. Here is a non-exclusive list of some indicative themes:聽
Possible topics
路聽聽聽聽聽聽Intimacy in online and digital spaces聽
路聽聽聽聽聽聽Intimacy and augmented reality
路聽聽聽聽聽聽Chatbots and intimacy: therapy, love and digital duplicates
路聽聽聽聽聽聽Robots: sex, love, friendship
路聽聽聽聽聽聽Social norms of intimacy: e.g. amatonormativity, sex-negativity etc.聽
路聽聽聽聽聽聽Relationship styles: relationship anarchy, polyamory, aromanticism聽
路聽聽聽聽聽聽Relationship ideals: love, friendship, collegiality聽
路聽聽聽聽聽聽Intimate practices: consent, communication, designing relationships聽
路聽聽聽聽聽聽Alternatives to/abolition of the family
路聽聽聽聽聽聽Intimacy and architecture: cities and buildings; schools, prisons, workplaces聽
路聽聽聽聽聽聽Intimacy and fantasy: BDSM, imaginary friendships, porn
路聽聽聽聽聽聽Paying for intimacy
路聽聽聽聽聽聽The role of the state in relationships
路聽聽聽聽聽聽Methodology: ideal vs. non-ideal approaches to intimacy
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We actively welcome in-progress work and seek to foster a friendly and collaborative environment. PhD students, post-docs, and ECR are especially welcome. We are also receptive to interdisciplinary explorations of these ideas, provided they are accessible to the non-specialist.
MANCEPT workshops are held in-person only, in Manchester聽on the聽3rd聽to 5th聽of September.
Abstract submission deadline:聽9th聽of May, 2025
Please send your abstract to:聽l.brunning1@leeds.ac.uk聽or聽S.Goddard@leeds.ac.uk聽聽