Undergrad defending paper at international conference

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By Heather Travis
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Being asked to present at an academic conference is expected at the graduate level.
 
 
Thinking far beyond her years has given fourth-year women’s studies student Ada Demaj a chance of a lifetime – one not typically granted to undergraduate students – to present at an international academic conference in May. 




But rarely does an undergraduate student get to defend a paper in such a challenging forum.
 
Next month fourth-year women’s studies student Ada Demaj will be put to the test, fielding questions and comments from feminist researchers on a subject certain to ignite interest – feminism and feminine masochism.  
 
The conference, titled The Human Condition Series – Eros 2010, takes place May 21-22. The international, multi-disciplinary conference will be held at Nipissing University Muskoka Campus in Bracebridge, Ont.
 
“I was certainly surprised that my paper was accepted because I thought this opportunity was too good to be true,” says Demaj.  
 
While less experienced than other presenters, Demaj is taking the pressure in stride.   “It definitely can be intimidating to see if my arguments hold up to the questions and comments of other academics; however I am not nervous.”  
 
The paper selected was written for a third-year Feminist Philosophy class. Feminine  masochism is the belief that women inherently love pain.  
 
Feminine masochism is a controversial topic among feminists, which is why Demaj feels the paper stood out from the pile.  
 
“Although it is generally agreed that there is nothing inherent in being female that contributes to being masochistic, there are a lot of questions regarding how feminists should approach and deal with women who identify themselves as having masochistic desires, especially when these women are also self-identified feminists,” she says.  
 
A common argument is that feminine masochism is wrong and should be eliminated. In her paper, Demaj argues there are similarities between how a woman experiences feminism and masochism.

“I really hope that I get a lot of questions and feedback from others because the topic I'm dealing with is nowhere near resolved, or even resolvable, which is why I am very interested in sharing my work with others in hopes of learning about some other aspects and approaches to the debate,” she says.
 
Luce Irigaray, Demaj’s favourite feminist philosopher, will  participate in the conference via satellite.  
 
Demaj plans to pursue graduate studies in Women’s Studies and Feminist Research.  
 
Helen Fielding, associate professor and undergraduate chair in Women’s Studies and Feminist Research, says Demaj is a standout student.
 
“I can see why her work was accepted at this conference,” says Fielding.
 
“She takes what she is concerned about and draws up the material that is given to her by her professors. She really thinks about it in very innovative ways.”   Demaj will be joined at the conference by a master’s and PhD candidates from Western. She will also rub elbows with researchers studying in her areas of interest.  
 
“For Ada, it is a wonderful opportunity because she is interested in pursuing graduate studies and to have a conference like this behind her on her CV when she is applying to graduate schools will really be an advantage for her,” says Fielding.
 
Demaj will be an ambassador for the kind of undergraduate teaching and research conducted at Western, she adds.  
 
“I don’t think she is aware of all the implications of her work and how far she is thinking with her work.”
 
Demaj received the Morgentaler Scholarship (2009) and the Julie Ashford Scholarship (2009/10) from the Department of Women’s Studies and Feminist Research at Western. Both awards are based on academic achievement. She also studied for a semester in Copenhagen, Denmark through Western's exchange program.
 

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