"Thinking Beyond Borders"? A Transnational Feminist Critique of Discourses of Internationalism in Canada

Kate Cairns is a PhD candidate in the During the first week of June, 2008, Department of Sociology and Equity Studies close to 10,000 researchers and academics in Education at the Ontario Institute for gathered at Vancouver's University of British Studies in Education of the University of Columbia (UBC) for the 77th annual Congress Toronto. of the Humanities and Social Sciences. This event, held each year at a different Canadian Abstract university, attracts delegates from over This paper presents a transnational feminist seventy scholarly associations across the critique of discourses of internationalism in country and has been described as "a Canada by analyzing a speech delivered at national celebration of intellectual life in the 2008 Congress of Humanities and Social Canada" (CFHSS 2008). Although Congress Sciences. The paper explores how feminist is founded upon the sharing and showcasing discourses are sometimes mobilized in of Canadian scholarship, the 2008 conference defense of dominant (inter)national narratives theme, Thinking Beyond Borders - Global and argues in support of transnational Ideas: Global Values, invited attendees to feminist interventions. transcend national and disciplinary divides. In Résumé the official welcome contained in the Cet article présente une critique féministe Congress 2008 Delegate's Guide, UBC transnationale des discours sur president Stephen J. Toope described the l’internationalisme au Canada en analysant un conference theme as "a wonderful opportunity discours présenté au Congrès des humanités to explore what it means to be global citizens" et des sciences sociales de 2008. Cet article (CFHSS 2008, 2). explore la façon dont les discours féministes During the conference, Toope offered sont parfois mobilisés pour la défense his own thoughts on the meaning of global d’exposés de faits (inter)nationaux dominants in a keynote address entitled et milite pour le soutient d’interventions "Canadian Universities and a New féministes transnationales. Internationalism." Here, the UBC president drafted a vision for Canada's role in fostering global flows of knowledge. Toope's speech was passionate in delivery and potentially controversial in content, for it positioned an urgent call for internationalism within a platform of social justice, and named racism and neocolonialism as pressing problems for Canadian scholarly analysis. At the same time, however, this vision left unchallenged specific assumptions that upheld many of the power relations it sought to redress. The talk also prompted a lively critique, in which two attendees asserted that in efforts to think globally, Canadian scholars must not sacrifice the country's values, particularly the

www.msvu.ca/atlantis PR Atlantis 35.1, 2010 25 progressive feminist values that preserve internationalism, in order to analyze the equality in Canada. workings of this discourse and to make As an audience member, I wondered specific suggestions about the usefulness of what this conversation suggested about the transnational feminist interventions. ways that internationalism is conceived in The paper is divided into three Canada. How could Toope move seamlessly sections. The first and second present my between the language of social justice and analysis of Toope's speech, structured that of national competitiveness? How "new" thematically in relation to issues of was this "new internationalism," and from and global citizenship. These what past was it distinguished? How could sections interrogate internationalist gender be omitted from Toope's discussion of discourses critically through the lens of global citizenship, and then foregrounded in transnational . The third section the defense of Canadian values? How was examines the panel response to Toope's feminism both absent from, and implicated in address, and explores how these thematic this conversation, and in the relations of tensions are articulated through gendered power that it served to uphold? rhetoric regarding the need to protect This paper explores these questions Canada's feminist values. Here, I explore how by taking Toope's speech and the ensuing feminist discourses are sometimes mobilized discussion as a site from which to examine a in defense of dominant national narratives, set of internationalist discourses that circulate and argue that critical feminist scholars must widely in Canada. Although the analysis challenge this discursive practice. The centres on this particular address, it is not concluding section situates the analysis within written as a personal critique of Toope's broader debates in transnational feminist speech; rather, I analyze this speech as an theorizing in order to suggest how insights expression of the tensions at work in efforts to from transnational feminist scholars can guide imagine a transnational scholarly practice. more critically reflexive ways of conceiving Just as it would be naïve to romanticize the Canada's relationship to global processes. Congress theme of Thinking Beyond Borders as evidence of a critical transformation, it is "In Our Own Best Interests": also unhelpful to dismiss the stated Reproducing the Through commitment to border crossing as only an Appeals to Internationalism instrumentalist expression of the neoliberal UBC President Stephen Toope academy. In an effort to tease apart the delivered the keynote address during the complex interconnections between the Social Sciences and Humanities Research competing discourses of transnational social Council (SSHRC) Breakfast Speaker Series, justice and national economic prosperity, the a selection of talks that launched each day of paper demonstrates how genuine efforts to Congress. On this particular morning, as achieve social justice can be constrained by delegates gathered with plates of particular historical, material and discursive complementary food, SSHRC President Chad conditions. In doing so, the paper charts a Gaffield offered some brief introductory relevant site of struggle within the politics of remarks, explaining that the UBC President's academic work in Canada and suggests that address would be followed by a panel transnational feminist scholarship provides a discussion among members of the SSHRC powerful resource with which to contest these Governing Council. Stephen Toope strode to dominant conceptions. The fact that this sort the platform with bounding steps, a physical of contestation is already happening is clear expression of the enthusiasm that would soon from the abundant transnational feminist be conveyed through his passionate address scholarship cited throughout this paper. My entitled, "Canadian Universities and a New intended contribution to this work is to Internationalism." conduct a close reading of one articulation of Toope opened his speech with

26 Atlantis 35.1, 2010 PR www.msvu.ca/atlantis reflections on the mutual construction of research productivity is already borders, identity and difference: dependent on international input: a bibliometric analysis of Canadian Internationalism is of its nature about research publications across a wide crossing borders. Yet paradoxically range of fields shows that currently nothing makes me feel more 40% of the papers by Canadian Canadian, more circumscribed, than authors have foreign co-authors. when I go across an international (Toope 2008, 10, italics in original) border. At such moments one feels one's very Note how the contribution of foreign scholars intensely...Borders can shape becomes quantified as a form of "international identity, but they do so, often, by input" that enhances Canada's global constraining it - pushing it into economic standing. Toope's passionate pre-established molds, and creating appeal to this community of scholars a sense of difference. assumes that Canadian academics must be (Toope 2008, 2) convinced that internationalism is good for Canada. Even as borders are transgressed, Calling into question the identity they are reinscribed by a celebration of the categories by which we define ourselves and inside. others, Toope stressed "the importance of Inderpal Grewal and Caren Kaplan overcoming our differences" (2008, 4) in order use the concept of "transnational" in their own to forge international networks through work in order to convey the "need to intellectual practice. Yet, even as he worked destabilize rather than maintain boundaries of to transcend the nation, Toope framed his nation, race, and gender" (Grewal and Kaplan arguments in reference to a particular 2000, 3). They argue that the term Canadian "we" that reproduced the nation as transnational "signals attention to uneven and primary, and thus left unchallenged the racial dissimilar circuits of culture and capital," while and gendered underpinnings of nationalist the term international emerges from a history sentiments. of "existing configurations of nation-states as Toope applauded Canadian discrete and sovereign entities" (2000, 3). I universities for successfully "attracting some explore this distinction between discourses of of the best scholars from around the world," a and internationalism trend that he presented as evidence of just throughout this paper, particularly in terms of the sort of "intellectual internationalism" that their implications for conceiving of efforts to he was advocating (2008, 7). Connecting this achieve more equitable global relations. global circuit of scholars to the Congress Liisa Malkki has demonstrated that theme, he declared that "the search for appeals to the international realm serve to knowledge should never be circumscribed by naturalize what she calls a "national order of borders or nationalities" (2008, 7). However, things" (Malkki 1994, 42). She argues that when the flow of international scholars into internationalism must be examined both as a Canadian institutions is framed as a form of "transnational cultural form for imagining and capital, calls for international relations ordering difference among people, and as a obscure a lingering nationalism that is defined moralizing discursive practice" accomplished by neoliberal conceptions of knowledge and through appeals to a common humanity market flows. Consider the following excerpt: (1994, 41). Premised upon relations among discrete , internationalism reproduces The fact is that we need to a liberal conception of community that is internationalize if we are to achieve constructed through othering, even as it and maintain the standing we aspire celebrates a supposed commonality across to as research institutions. Our difference. For example, Pillai and Kline draw

www.msvu.ca/atlantis PR Atlantis 35.1, 2010 27 on Malkki to analyze corporate narratives of "us" to whom Toope refers? Do international global agriculture, and explore "how the students become a part of this imagined internationalist construction of difference, community when they enter Canadian produced through codifications of race, class universities? and gender, is tied to the legitimation of the Sara Ahmed and Elaine Swan (2006) nation-form" (Pillai and Kline 1998, 595). In have explored how the concept of "diversity" pointing to the mutual constitution of operates as a performance measure within nationalism and internationalism, I do not new equality regimes in Australian and British claim to unearth a hidden nationalist agenda universities. They argue that within this within Toope's appeal, nor do I question the process, students of colour are seen to integrity of his aims. Rather, I draw on these embody diversity, and therefore are expected critiques in order to better understand how to do the work of this performance, while genuine efforts to forge international relations institutions and white bodies are absolved of can be circumscribed by commonsense this responsibility. In a similar vein, Toope's understandings of the nation as the natural suggestion that "foreign students help to form for organizing human experience. 'internationalize' us" can be understood as an This discursive process, whereby the historically specific expression of white nation is reinscribed through claims to privilege, as it is clear that Canadian transcend its borders, was most evident in institutions are the intended beneficiaries of Toope's discussion of the need for more this exchange. international students in Canadian These instrumentalist conceptions of universities. Toope first distanced himself diversity amass international students as from economically oriented arguments that though they constitute a homogeneous group, frame international students as lucrative and thus reproduce forms of othering that imports. He insisted that, beyond generating uphold transnational power differentials. revenue, "the pursuit of international students These othering practices are furthered within is linked to a recognition that, if we are to gain academic research. Jane Kenway and credibility and recognition for our teaching and Elizabeth Bullen note that much of the research, we must become part of the literature on the experiences of international network of learning that encompasses the students lacks a gender analysis, and the few globe. And in large part that means fostering feminist studies on this subject tend to diversity and global awareness at home by privilege liberal notions of access and equity. attracting good students from abroad" (Toope In their own research on the experiences of 2008, 9). This statement deploys two distinct postgraduate female international students in narratives. The first, that of "credibility and Australia and Canada, Kenway and Bullen recognition," concerns Canada's national provide a postcolonial feminist approach, profile on the international stage. The second, "postulating an educational contact zone "fostering diversity and global awareness at created by the globalisation of the home," appeals to ideals of global citizenship. contemporary university" (Kenway and Bullen Here, as elsewhere, the discourse of 2003, 10). The notion of the "contact zone," internationalism weaves together the projects developed by Mary Louise Pratt, refers to a of national prosperity and transnational site of colonial encounter. This is an apt , as though they were mutually concept, for as Julie Matthews and Ravinder reinforcing and nearly indistinguishable. Sidhu point out, colonial relations continue to Continuing on this point, Toope suggested shape the geography and curriculum of that "foreign students help to 'internationalize' international education. In their words, "the us internally, which is a real benefit to our legacies of and the role played by classes by enriching debate, and to our nation-states in their quest to maintain professors and students by opening up new comparative national advantage have created perspectives" (2008, 9). Who belongs to the the conditions for spatializing knowledge by

28 Atlantis 35.1, 2010 PR www.msvu.ca/atlantis perpetuating the largely unidirectional flow of and Canada more generally, but is neither students from the 'South/East' to the gendered nor racialized, and thus leaves the 'North/West'" (Matthews and Sidhu 2005, 58). preferred white, male national subject to Analyses that attend to these historical occupy its place (Thobani 2007). Yet, as I continuities can explore how racialized and describe in the next section, this "we" is gendered subjects are mutually constituted, imbued with a particular set of personal and how international students' experiences qualities; within this discourse of differ in relation to particular political and internationalism, the cross border exchange historical contexts. of knowledge not only fosters national Although Toope promotes the diversity, but also produces global citizens. admirable goal of transcending a racist fear of difference, his analysis lacks historical context "Promoting the Ideals of Global and a critique of power relations. Instead, he Citizenship": Transnational Justice and evaluates efforts to "internationalize" Western Universalism academic institutions in terms of statistics, Throughout his speech, Toope citing increases in the number of international consistently asserted that his internationalism students enrolled at Canadian universities as is one that views scholarly practice as a positive trend that must be pursued further. committed to social justice. Drawing on his Ella Shohat has critiqued similar notions own experience as the president of UBC, he within global feminist projects, where women spoke of "a growing sense that universities of colour are seen to contribute value as have a strong role to play in furthering the representatives of different nationalities and goals of social justice, both at home and cultures. She describes this tokenized effort abroad" (Toope 2008, 5). The avenue for as an "additive approach, which simply has these changes, he insisted, is rooted in new women of the globe neatly neighbored and conceptions of citizenship: "At UBC we speak stocked, paraded in a United Nations-style somewhat idealistically of educating future 'Family of Nations' pageant where each 'global citizens' who will work towards the ethnically marked feminist speaks in her turn, attainment of a sustainable and equitable dressed in national costume" (Shohat 2002, future for all. In practical terms this means 68). Missing from this additive account of encouraging the development of courses and internationalism is an analysis of the types of programs emphasizing global awareness and relationships formed through this encounter. civic engagement" (2008, 5). He gave the Given the drastically unequal global example of UBC's Learning Exchange conditions that structure international program, where student volunteers provide processes, it is highly problematic to legitimize support work in Vancouver's Downtown East entry into international relations in light of Side. In addition to such focused Toope's assertion that "the internationalization programming, Toope suggested that by of our campuses is in our own best interests" internationalizing the curriculum and (Toope 2008, 10). diversifying the student body, Canadian In drafting this vision for Canadian universities will cultivate global citizens. post-secondary education, Toope draws upon Transnational feminist scholars have a discourse of internationalism that works to problematized this perceived connection re-centre the nation-, such that the between transnational flows and the "rise of primacy of the Canadian "we" remains feelings and institutions of global solidarity" unquestioned. Grewal and Kaplan have called (Ong 2006, 230). In a study of international for a feminist analysis of nationalism, as "a education in Australia, Matthews and Sidhu process in which new patriarchal elites gain interrogate "the often unquestioned links the power to produce the generic 'we' of the between globalization, international education nation" (2000, 6). The "we" of Toope's speech and the development of globally oriented refers to Canadian academics specifically, and subjectivities" (Matthews and

www.msvu.ca/atlantis PR Atlantis 35.1, 2010 29 Sidhu 2005, 62). They argue that, because and south Asia. And uncomfortably discussions of internationalization have close to home, there is the history of neglected the central debates within Canada's treatment of its indigenous anti-racist education, these efforts have peoples, a history marked by betrayal tended to reproduce historically established and by the sense of moral and social relations of domination, albeit through new superiority underlying colonial practices that adhere to discourses of global expansion. That is a history that citizenship. Similarly, in her research on continues to dog us, and that we are Canadian study/volunteer programs abroad, attempting - often feebly - to expiate Rebecca Tiessen shows that pedagogical today. (Toope 2008, 4) ideals of fostering global citizenship often go unrealized. Instead, the main beneficiaries of The significance of this public assertion from these programs tend to be the Canadian a university president must be noted, students themselves, in terms of their own particularly in the context of discourses of personal growth, as well as the Canadian multiculturalism that make it difficult to speak government, which profits from the image of about racial injustice in Canada (Thobani a "kinder, gentler Canada" (Tiessen 2008, 6). 2007). Even still, it is important to probe the In drawing these connections, I do not mean limitations of approaches to racism and to suggest that Toope's call for global citizens colonialism that emerge from discourses of is driven solely by nationalist self-interest. internationalism. Instead, I hope to map out some of the Toope suggested that one opportunity conditions in which global citizenship for creating new forms of international becomes conceivable, and to consider how relations - relationships that are mutually these conditions structure the possibilities for beneficial rather than imperialist - is to achieving the type of education Toope recognize that "the nations and peoples of the envisions. world face common enemies" (Toope 2008, What complicates Toope's entry into 5). He listed AIDS, poverty, human rights this conversation is the fact that he explicitly abuses, and several environmental concerns, named racism and colonialism, both past and and concluded that "these are enemies that, present, as issues that Canadian universities whatever their origins, know no national must confront in order to foster an educational borders" (2008, 5). Despite his climate that promotes global citizenship. Early acknowledgement of racial injustice, Toope's in his address, Toope contested the core calls for an international alliance in the face of elements of Canada's self-image as a shared "enemies" is evocative of moralizing benevolent, tolerant nation: "Canada prides appeals to a "common humanity" (Malkki itself on social understanding, on promoting 1994, 41). While these issues do create diversity and multiculturalism; yet we have the problems throughout the globe, the "common recent experience of the Bouchard-Taylor enemies" formulation homogenizes the Commission in Quebec before us, which unequal ways in which they are experienced. suggests that many people in that province For example, although Western nations are regard immigrants with suspicion and distrust1 responsible for much of the world's ( Toope 2008, 3). Lest the non-Quebecers in environmental degradation, the damages are the room consider themselves to be outside felt most gravely in the Global South. of racist relations, he continued: Furthermore, among those omitted from this list of "enemies" are transnational British Columbia is perhaps the most corporations that exploit workers and sustain multi-racial society in the country, yet imperial relations. Chandra Mohanty has its history is sadly reflective of racism called for a transnational, anticapitalist and , largely directed at feminist critique that recognizes that "it is girls minority groups of colour from east and women around the world, especially in

30 Atlantis 35.1, 2010 PR www.msvu.ca/atlantis the Third World South, that bear the brunt of positions of saviour and victim are sustained globalization" (Mohanty 2003, 514). as the only available options. While the social Discourses of international solidarity that justice ideals behind this formulation are neglect the racialized and gendered violences genuine, it fails to interrogate the imperial perpetrated by agents of corporate histories that produce these uneven global globalization have the effect of naturalizing an conditions. oppressive capitalist system. Grewal and Kaplan have called for In fact, the narrative of the "much more attention to the power relations of progressive West emerged more explicitly travel - contacts and transactions of all kinds - toward the end of Toope's speech. Clarifying that are part of the knowledge production the role that postsecondary institutions must through which subjects are constituted" perform in righting these global injustices, (Grewal and Kaplan 2001, 671). The Toope stated the following: "In the western education of the global citizen is clearly world, universities have become the principle embedded in such power relations, and its engines of discovery in almost every field, and construction must be understood in terms of it is no exaggeration to claim that if we are to particular historical conditions. According to find the solutions to the social, economic, and Ella Shohat, "globalization is not a completely environmental problems that loom over us, it new development; it must be seen as part of is our universities that will almost certainly the much longer history of colonialism in provide them" (2008, 6). Here, the imagined which Europe attempted to subject the world "we" expands from Canada to "the western to a single 'universal' regime of truth and world," a move that aligns national interests global institution of power" (Shohat 2002, 76). with an international coalition rooted in While Toope makes an effort to be imperial histories, and deemed responsible accountable to Canada's colonial history, the for promoting good throughout the globe. naturalized terms of W estern superiority Toope declared proudly that Canadian constrain his vision for transnational social universities are engaged in numerous justice. Rather than attempt to assert a international development efforts, and offered discursive break with a racist past, a the example of UBC's Centre for International transnational feminist approach recognizes Health project that is "helping Ecuador learn that liberal efforts to produce tolerant subjects to manage its emerging environmental health do little to reorganize relations of power needs" (15). This salvation narrative has been (Lunny 2006; Razack 2000; Reilly 2007). critiqued by many transnational feminist Contrary to Toope's insistence that his is a scholars, who have charted its operation "new" internationalism, analyses that throughout a wide range of Canadian efforts foreground the interrelations of Western to "do good" abroad, spanning international privilege and Third World oppression suggest development projects (Heron 2007) to that these histories are not behind us, as they peacekeeping missions (Razack 2004). continue to shape the way geographies are Inderpal Grewal demonstrates how the imagined, capital is allocated, and subjects discourse of human rights functions as a form are unevenly positioned (Heron 2007; Nestel of governmentality that produces the 2006; Swarr and Nagar 2010). benevolent Western subject and the Third World victim. When Toope calls for an Protecting Canada's Feminist Values: international coalition to "establish the moral Gender as the Perceived Limit to and legal foundation for a body of Thinking Beyond Borders international law capable of protecting people A round of thunderous applause against threats to their rights by corrupt, followed the UBC President's passionate weak, or indifferent regimes" (Toope 2008, address. The speaker paused briefly to show 17), he draws upon this widely circulated his appreciation, then gestured apologetically salvation discourse; consequently, the two toward his watch and bounded off the

www.msvu.ca/atlantis PR Atlantis 35.1, 2010 31 platform, exiting the large ballroom. Chad we must not allow "cultural relativism" to Gaffield chuckled as he commented on the threaten progressive feminist values in busy life of a university president, and Canada. explained that because President Toope had What does this conversation suggest to rush off to another engagement, the about the relationship between feminist discussion would proceed in his absence. discourses and conceptions of Members of SSHRC's Governing Council internationalism in Canada? For one thing, it were invited to respond to what they had foregrounds the need for interlocking heard over the past thirty minutes. analyses that explore how race and gender The first two speakers responded are mutually constituted in historically specific favourably to the speech, echoing several of ways that uphold transnational relations of Toope's central points, but the third speaker power. Sunera Thobani describes how, in was immediately critical in her response. She recent years, discourses of terror have took issue with Toope's synopsis of the worked to redefine Canada's civilizing Bouchard-Taylor Commission, and insisted narrative through feminist gender values that the UBC president had missed the most (Thobani 2007, 222). In this current critical point in this document: that citizens formulation, citizens are invited to imagine must be free to defend the central values of themselves as Western, rational and Quebec, and of Canada, even as they progressive in contrast to oppressive welcome immigrants from diverse countries patriarchal regimes of the non-West. Feminist and cultures. In elaborating her critique, the discourses have played a crucial role in speaker immediately invoked the issue of legitimizing this narrative, as a particular gender as a contested terrain where stream of feminist theorizing has historically Canadians must not sacrifice "our values" in relied upon colonial discourses that work to efforts to embrace multiculturalism. She did position Western feminists as superior not offer specific details as to how Toope's (Mohanty 1988). Despite Toope's efforts to vision of internationalism might jeopardize imagine a genderless universal subject of the gender values in Canada; instead she "global citizen," this discussion suggests that suggested that those of us in attendance gender continues to serve as a means of could easily call to mind examples of such policing racialized distinctions of nationhood conflicts. Apparently, the clash between and citizenship. cultural diversity and feminist values was so The exchange also reveals how the commonsensical that it required no notion of "values" is deployed within new explanation. forms of . Janine Brodie (2008) A woman in the audience joined the demonstrates that the vision of the Canadian discussion in support of these remarks, and state as one that "protects" feminist values recalled working some years prior with an has gained a prominent place within national international scholar who was completing a mythologies, such that ongoing gender postdoctorate at a Canadian university. She inequities are obscured through the explained that although she had enjoyed assumption that "we are all equal now." rigorous academic debates with this woman, Within international human rights discourses, the two quickly learned that they could not Inderpal Grewal (2005) explores how the discuss feminist issues because they held spread of "American values" secures the such different cultural views. The audience moral superiority of the United States as member did not name the particular racial or saviours, and locates the origins of ethnic background of this scholar, nor the supposedly universal values in the questionable gender values she espoused, progressive "West." Reay et al. have shown but we were assured that they were in conflict how these global distinctions are reproduced with "our own." The woman on stage nodded within local encounters. Their research and reiterated her previous point, insisting that reveals how white middle-class parents'

32 Atlantis 35.1, 2010 PR www.msvu.ca/atlantis positive feelings toward a multicultural our lives. (Toope 2008, 19, italics in education for their children often require that original) racialized students demonstrate similar values. They conclude that "the multi-ethnic As I stated in the introduction, what other needs to share in normative white drew me toward this particular address were middle-class values in order to be of value" its tensions and complexities. Toope's final (2007, 1049). Recall as well that the remarks are admirable not only for their social Congress theme of Thinking Beyond Borders justice leanings, but also for recognizing the was accompanied by the subheading Global fact that acts of border crossing are Ideas: Global Values, suggesting that embedded within relations of power. questions of "values" deserve a central place Nevertheless, as I have argued throughout within conference discussions. this paper, efforts to imagine "new" What is especially interesting about possibilities for transnational scholarship are how the SSHRC Breakfast Session unfolded constrained by historically specific conditions. is that although the discussion of gender I highlight these constraints not to personally values emerged as a critique of Toope's criticize the UBC president, but rather to ask speech, it actually shares many of the terms what might be learned from them. that informed his argument, including the Fortunately, these conditions are priority of the national "we," and the neither fixed nor inevitable. What I hope to superiority of the West as world leaders. The have shown in this paper is that by analyzing fact that this passionate disagreement discourses of internationalism that circulate emerged from common assumptions within dominant institutional venues - in this highlights the very limited terms of this case, the largest academic conference in the debate. Encounters like this one offer fruitful country - we can better understand how analytical sites as we interrogate the articulations of nationalism, imperialism and conditions in which transnational scholarship patriarchy continue to shape practices of and global justice are conceived in dominant knowledge production, even within genuine Canadian discourses. My argument in this efforts to transcend borders. Transnational paper is that we should take seriously the feminism has much to offer this project, as work of transnational feminist scholars as we evident in the rich body of critical scholarship look toward possibilities for imagining referenced throughout this paper, which has otherwise. been generated within and beyond Canadian borders. Grewal and Kaplan suggest that Concluding Thoughts "transnational" studies must "examine the In his closing remarks, Stephen circulation of this term and its regulation Toope distinguished his vision for a "new through institutional sites, such as academic internationalism" from those forms that have publishing, conference panels and papers, been historically more common: and academic personnel matters" (2001, 664). Following their lead, feminist scholars Crossing borders can mean simply ought to undertake studies that track the the act of peering briefly into the way specific genealogy of transnational theorizing other people live, 'faire du tourisme', within Canadian academic contexts. This will a journey that always ends where it help to historicize current intellectual projects began. Or it can mean a more difficult in terms of their political, institutional and voyage, one in which we transcend disciplinary antecedents. Transnational social or political barriers to offer feminist scholars do not simply accept the others the benefits of our research intellectual project of "thinking beyond and learning, and to learn from their borders" as the grounds for transnational work - thus making it possible for us theorizing; instead, these feminist scholars to effect positive changes in their and continue to ask how, on whose terms, and

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