Several HEPP members enjoyed participating in thought-provoking discussions at the Sexual and Social Contract SKY doctoral course, starting with the opening seminar on 20 November and continuing on 11-12 December with a writing retreat at Hotelli Rantapuisto. The course was structured around Carole Pateman’s book The Sexual Contract (1988) and Nathanael Colin-Jaeger’s (American University in Paris, CO3 project) overview of social contract theories. The discussions brought the theoretical concepts to be applied in various empirical contexts, such as surrogacy, poly-normativism, sex work, global ethics, sexual violence, incel culture, kinship, and political rhetoric.
In the opening seminar, we heard two interesting presentations by Annika Teppo (Uppsala University) and Nathanael Colin-Jaeger. In her talk, Annika introduced anthropological perspectives on social contract theory and kinship in Afrikaner communities. Nathanael carried us through the theoretical development of social contract and its criticism. The talks were followed by a roundtable discussion with Emilia Palonen (University of Helsinki), Paul-Erik Korvela (University of Helsinki), Anna Björk (Demos Helsinki) and Sonja Amadae (University of Helsinki). The panellists discussed the welfare state and attitudes towards gender-based violence, among other insightful angles to social contract.
The retreat offered not only a peaceful environment to concentrate on writing but also a chance to exchange ideas on feminist research. With host teacher Emilia Palonen and guest teachers Jenny Gunnarson Payne (Södertörn University) and Annika Teppo, doctoral students shared their thoughts on research ethics, classics-reading, and empirical findings. Theoretical discussions around Pateman taught us how to balance between being a gentle and a critical reader and encouraged us to take part in trans-disciplinary academic debates with open and confident minds.