Conferences as heterotopic spaces: gendered subjectivity, academic legitimacy, and the politics of participation

Aspects of gender have received limited critical attention in the literature on conferences, particularly regarding how these events are experienced. This paper brings together an example of women academics’ participation in international conferences with a critical investigation of their experiences in relation to established notions of academic identity. Using Foucault’s concept of heterotopias as a theoretical lens and collaborative autoethnography as a method, we explore three dimensions shaping the gendering of academic work: the commodification of scholarly work, discourses of participation and legitimacy, and thresholds of academic roles. In doing so, we reflect on our own experiences and examine how academic norms and subjectivities are expressed, reinforced, or contested. The paper concludes with a call to action, urging both individuals and institutions to engage in relational work that problematizes existing practices and co-constructs more equitable spaces for academic becoming.