• To explore the erotic in respect of the range and diversity of sexual identities, relations, orientations, acts and behaviours.
• To explore the erotic as an ethical, political, social, cultural and philosophical  terrain of study
• To explore the erotic through thinkers beyond disciplines or fields as a subject that is elusive, ever present but often absent in both social and intellectual discourse.

Whilst we welcome high quality expositions on the erotic within particular or specialised disciplinary boundaries, we are particularly interested in contributions that balance the scope of insight that brings with the limitations that disciplinary boundaries create in failing to recognise cross-disciplinary connections which centre on this theme and neglecting important historical and cultural perspectives on the development of the 'erotic' as a locus of attention. Consequently, we are particularly keen to encourage submissions that are not subsumed within disciplines, but cut across and between disciplinary vocabularies to provide new synergies, eclectic domains and inter-disciplinary possibilities.

This extends to the nature of submission and performance. We are open to proposals that go beyond traditional paper presentations to occupy panels, give performances, or offer workshops. Whatever the mode of articulation, all submissions should demonstrate a high quality of scholarship, critical thinking and academic rigour in exploring the erotic.

The conference and the project aims to instigate inter-disciplinary dialogues on the 'erotic' in human societies and enable creative and imaginative inter-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary perspectives on its forms, meanings and manifestations. Submissions are welcome on any of the following themes:

• the erotic and identity: disability, ethnicity, gender, class and otherness
• the erotic, law and crime
• the erotic in education and the education of the erotic
• the erotic in popular culture
• the erotic in literature and on the screen
• the erotic and its relationship to pornography and exploitation
• the erotic, ethics and philosophy
• the erotic and the eroticised or de-eroticised body
• the erotic: absence, control and excess
• the erotic and sexual representation
• the erotic in media - film, print, tv, internet
• the erotic and (neo-)colonialism
• the erotic as the making of the exotic
• the erotic and the phenomenological

Papers will be considered on any related theme. 300 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday 13th June 2008. If your paper is accepted for presentation at the conference, an 8 page draft paper should be submitted by Friday 10th October 2008.

300 word abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to both Organising Chairs; abstracts may be in Word, WordPerfect, or RTF formats with the following information and in this order:

a) author(s), b) affiliation, c) email address, d) title of abstract, e) body of abstract.

Please use plain text (Times Roman 12) and abstain from using footnotes and any special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or underline). We acknowledge receipt and answer to all paper proposals submitted. If you do not receive a reply from us in a week you should assume we did not receive your proposal; it might be lost in cyberspace! We suggest, then, to look for an alternative electronic route or resend.

The conference is part of a larger series of ongoing conferences entitled Critical Issues, which aim to bring together people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore various discussions which are innovative and exciting.

All papers accepted for and presented at the conference will be eligible for publication in an ISBN eBook. Paper-givers may also be invited to submit revised versions of their papers to The Global Journal for Sensuality, Sexuality and the Erotic, an international inter-disciplinary peer reviewed Journal published by Interdisciplinary Press, with Paul Reynolds as Editor, in 2009.