Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

WGS Media Meets Theory Series Accepting Presenters & Panelists

Posted on 12/30/2014

The WGS Media Meets Theory (2/2, 3/9 & 4/6, 3:30pm-5pm) series will use feminist theories from WGS classes to analyze pop culture artifact, text, or current event in the media. It is our hope that this series will function as a way to bring better visibility to certain subjects, a way to apply WGS coursework to real-world events, and to create a better understanding of theories used in WGS courses, in which students explore systems of oppression, examining the significance, relationships, and power dynamics of race, sexuality, gender, class, ability, species, etc. in such spaces as education, the prison industrial complex, the animal industrial complex, media representations, the mental health industry, activism, and more.

UNCG Women’s and Gender Studies Program invites WGS students (both undergrad and grad) to join a small panel to present and facilitate discussion with an intimate group of fellow students.  Presenters/panelists/facilitators will provide a brief summary of whatever theory they are using, then a summary of the pop culture or current event example (and are encouraged to show images or video to go along with the topic).  A facilitator/moderator will provide some conversation starters and facilitate discussion around the topic.

Examples include:  Use a queer theory concept or text to conduct an analysis of Orange is the New Black and the representation of its characters.  Investigate instances of gender violence and sexual assault on campus and the way they get reported on using feminist scholarship on patriarchy and rape culture.  Explore working-class frustrations and marginalization in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) through an argument from disability studies.  Or examine the politics of black rage in Richard Wright’s novel Native Son (1940). Or pair ideas from Women of Color feminisms with the cultural reactions to the varying feminist interventions of Beyonce’, Rihanna, and Nicki Minaj.  Or, or or…. The possibilities of drawing connections between the theories discussed in Women’s and Gender Studies classes with pop culture and media are endless.

The 2/2 discussion will focus on feminisms and #blacklivesmatter.  If you have an idea for one of the later dates, please contact us with your submission. This should be a short proposal or abstract (200-500 words) explaining the work that you wish to present (We will assign presenters to a panel of 3 or 4 according to similar or complementary themes that we feel would best fit together for a robust discussion).  Please include your preferred name and pronoun, email address, department or discipline, as well as your affiliation to the university (Undergraduate or Graduate Student, Faculty, etc.) Both undergraduate and graduate students are welcomed and encouraged!

Email submissions and questions to Savannah Behrent at smbehren@uncg.edu, Dayne B. Alexander at dbalexan@uncg.edu, or Sherronda J. Brown at sjbrown2@uncg.edu with the subject line “Media Meets Theory Proposal” or leave a hard copy in the drop box of the WGS Graduate Assistant Office (Curry 338). We look forward to your submissions!