Get ready for the winter meeting of SWS!THEME: LEFT COAST FEMINISMS: Reimagining Borders, Bodies and the Law
DATES: February 4 - 7, 2010
PLACE: Hotel Mar Monte, Santa Barbara, CA
12/11/2009
New team in Akron
The SWS chapter Akron is excited to announce the incoming, inspiring, new leadership team for the next year(s)! From left to right: Marci Cottingham (co vice-president), Michael Steiner (treasurer), Monica Oliva (co vice-president), and Jenneyerin Steele Stats (president)!
11/15/2009
The Price of Pleasure - report
About 100 people came to see the fantastic documentary The Price of Pleasure by Dr. Chyng Sun on November 12 2009 in the Student Union Theater which was organized by the Akron chapter of Sociologists for Women and Society and the new local chapter of Campus Coalition for Sexual Literacy founded by Darlene Forrest. It revealed some quite shocking facts about the 13 Billion dollar industry of pornography in the US (the revenues are bigger than those from NFL, NBA and major baseball league together). 13,000 porn videos are produced in one year; 900 million rentals were counted for the year 2003. Porn is cultural and economic mainstream promoted for example also by Time Warner who earns a million Dollar by cooperation with porn producers.
The nucleus of the film was a content analysis Dr. Chyng Sun carried out, in which she examines the top sellers of mainstream pornography in the US. The research team finds that in 98% of their sample verbal and physical abuse of women and 94% actual violence against women is the thrill for the spectators. Although the link between watching porn and acting out violence is scientifically not clearly examined, we know today that in 70% of child abuse porn was used in the setting. The documentary does a good job in not going into the “let’s abolish porn” corner, but in revealing that sexualized violence against women – through porn – is clearly rendering violence against women invisible. It also wisely deconstructs the argument that being critical of porn is being against sex, after all, “being critical about McDonalds does not mean you are against eating,” as one interviewee states.
About 50 people stayed for the Q and A session with Chyng which was moderated by Marie Bozin who also brought in own findings of qualitative projects on this topic. The discussion was characterized by the powerful impressions the documentary had left in the audience and brought – among other topics –to light the contradiction between illegal prostitution and the flourishing porn industry in this country and the overall missing critical discussion of porn. Clearly the argument that it is a good job opportunity for uneducated women is not as convincing, as only very few women gain wealth with pornography and can sustain a career in this business.
For those who could not make it, a DVD of the 60 minute documentary will be available in the Teaching Resources Lab in the sociology department of Akron. Also, you can check out a full length online preview online under this link in smaller resolution): .
Pictures and comments are shared on the facebook site of the event: A big thank you goes out to Dr. Chyng Sun who was more than a pleasant guest! More information on this outstanding scholar and person can be found on her website . I am really excited to thank the best SWS troupe I have ever worked with on this campus: Jennyerin Steele-Staats, Mike Steiner, Marci Cottingham, Monica Oliva, Darlene Forrest, Hannah Furnas (the undergrad gem in the round) and Jodi Ross, who made this event possible! The new cohort is totally rockin’ us! There is certainly more to come!
The nucleus of the film was a content analysis Dr. Chyng Sun carried out, in which she examines the top sellers of mainstream pornography in the US. The research team finds that in 98% of their sample verbal and physical abuse of women and 94% actual violence against women is the thrill for the spectators. Although the link between watching porn and acting out violence is scientifically not clearly examined, we know today that in 70% of child abuse porn was used in the setting. The documentary does a good job in not going into the “let’s abolish porn” corner, but in revealing that sexualized violence against women – through porn – is clearly rendering violence against women invisible. It also wisely deconstructs the argument that being critical of porn is being against sex, after all, “being critical about McDonalds does not mean you are against eating,” as one interviewee states.
About 50 people stayed for the Q and A session with Chyng which was moderated by Marie Bozin who also brought in own findings of qualitative projects on this topic. The discussion was characterized by the powerful impressions the documentary had left in the audience and brought – among other topics –to light the contradiction between illegal prostitution and the flourishing porn industry in this country and the overall missing critical discussion of porn. Clearly the argument that it is a good job opportunity for uneducated women is not as convincing, as only very few women gain wealth with pornography and can sustain a career in this business.
For those who could not make it, a DVD of the 60 minute documentary will be available in the Teaching Resources Lab in the sociology department of Akron. Also, you can check out a full length online preview online under this link in smaller resolution): .
Pictures and comments are shared on the facebook site of the event: A big thank you goes out to Dr. Chyng Sun who was more than a pleasant guest! More information on this outstanding scholar and person can be found on her website . I am really excited to thank the best SWS troupe I have ever worked with on this campus: Jennyerin Steele-Staats, Mike Steiner, Marci Cottingham, Monica Oliva, Darlene Forrest, Hannah Furnas (the undergrad gem in the round) and Jodi Ross, who made this event possible! The new cohort is totally rockin’ us! There is certainly more to come!
11/09/2009
10/14/2009
Upcoming: 11/12/2009 The Price of Pleasure
Mark your calendars!
SWS will be hosting the Ohio premiere of the documentary "The Price of Pleasure" on Thursday, November 12 2009 in the Student Union Theater - Univerity of Akron!
Synopsis of the film: Once relegated to the margins of society, pornography has become one of the most visible and profitable sectors of the cultural industries in the United States. It is estimated that the pornography industry's annual revenue has reached $13 billion. At the same time, the content of pornography has become more aggressive, more overtly sexist and racist.
The film features the voices of consumers, critics, and pornography producers and performers. It is particularly revealing when male pornographers openly discuss their views about women and how men should relate to them, and when male and female porn users candidly discuss the role pornography has played in shaping their sexual imaginations and relationships. The film paints both a nuanced and complex portrait of how pleasure and pain, commerce and power, and liberty and responsibility are intertwined in the most intimate aspects of human relations.At the same time, the film examines the unprecedented role that commercial pornography now occupies in U.S. popular culture. Going beyond the debate of liberal versus conservative so common in the culture, The Price of Pleasure provides a holistic understanding of pornography as it debunks common myths about the genre.
The film features interviews with scholars of mass media (Gail Dines and Robert Jensen), economics (Richard Wolff), and psychology (Dr. Ana Bridges); writers on pornography and popular culture (Ariel Levy and Pamela Paul); producers and performers from the pornography industry (John Stagliano, Joanna Angel and Ernest Greene); and a former stripper/porn performer-turned-author (Sarah Katherine Lewis).
The film features the voices of consumers, critics, and pornography producers and performers. It is particularly revealing when male pornographers openly discuss their views about women and how men should relate to them, and when male and female porn users candidly discuss the role pornography has played in shaping their sexual imaginations and relationships. The film paints both a nuanced and complex portrait of how pleasure and pain, commerce and power, and liberty and responsibility are intertwined in the most intimate aspects of human relations.At the same time, the film examines the unprecedented role that commercial pornography now occupies in U.S. popular culture. Going beyond the debate of liberal versus conservative so common in the culture, The Price of Pleasure provides a holistic understanding of pornography as it debunks common myths about the genre.
The film features interviews with scholars of mass media (Gail Dines and Robert Jensen), economics (Richard Wolff), and psychology (Dr. Ana Bridges); writers on pornography and popular culture (Ariel Levy and Pamela Paul); producers and performers from the pornography industry (John Stagliano, Joanna Angel and Ernest Greene); and a former stripper/porn performer-turned-author (Sarah Katherine Lewis).
We are excited to announce that the filmmaker Chyn Sung will be joining us for a Roundtable - discussion! Dr. Chyng Sun is a Clinical Associate Professor of Media Studies at New York University. In addition to her scholarly research on gender, sexuality and race in the media, Dr. Sun is the creator of the documentaries Mickey Mouse Monopoly and Beyond Good and Evil. Her latest film The Price of Pleasure investigated the disturbing trend in contemporary pornography: as the industry has become more mainstream in recent years, the movies it produces have become harsher and more extreme, more overtly sexist and racist. How would these pornographic images affect our sexual imaginations and relationships? Dr. Chyng Sun explores the production, content, and consumption of pornography with the aim to help her audiences gain a holistic understanding of this controversial medium10/07/2009
10/06/2009
We are...
...getting into gears with the preparation of the pornography documentary screening! So excited to have new activists Marci, Monica, Mike & Jennyerin join the action!10/03/2009
SWS supports CampusCureForCancer!
SWS Akron (Jennyerin Stats & bambini, Kathy Feltey, Daniela Jauk) and GradCROW (Rosa Githiora) support CampusCureForCancer, a 5k walk for breast cancer awareness on campus! It was put on by Amanda, an awesome activist we can learn from a lot! Most definitely we will have a workshop with her on feminist activism on campus soon!
8/20/2009
New officers...
...are to be elected like every Fall for the Akron-paperwork. Darlene Forrest, the incoming vice president of SWS Akron is (more or less) enjoying herself on a mandatory retreat from the Graduate Student Government.
4/24/2009
4/09/2009
3/09/2009
2/28/2009
Betsy Lucal was amazing!
Report and lecture mp3 to follow soon, more pictures of the event here! Thank you all for coming out, helping out and co-creating this compelling workshop, the lecture and the potluck!
2/18/2009
2/16/2009
Gender Lectures: RVSP now!
RVSP for workshops required!
Please email layers2@kent.edu until February 17th!
University of Akron
Thursday, February 26th
Dr. Betsy Lucal, Dept of Sociology/Anthropology, IUSB
1-4pm Workshop: Making Sense of Intersex, Transgender and Bisexuality: Resources for teaching.
Student Union Room 308
The workshop will focus on helping participants make sense of these complex topics so that they can better include them in their courses. Betsy Lucal will provide a conceptual framework, suggestions for readings and films and other recommendations for successful introduction of these important topics. Recommended reading: Building Boxes and Policing Boundaries: (De)Constructing Intersexuality, Transgender and Bisexuality. Sociology Compass. March 2008.
6 -7.30pm, Lecture: Talkin’ about a (Still Missing?) Revolution: Reflections on Two Decades of Feminist Sociology
Student Union Ballroom B, free childcare provided
"In this paper, I analyze the numerous examinations of the state of the feminist revolution in US sociology. I provide some contextualization by positioning the debate alongside my own experiences as a US feminist sociologist, suggesting that one’s standpoint influences one’s assessment of the status and extent of feminist revolution in US sociology. As someone young enough to have entered sociology with the assumption that studying gender was legitimate and perfectly acceptable, and that I could build a career as a feminist sociologist, my perspective is likely different from those who entered a more hostile field in the 1960s and 1970s. I also examine the role of organizations, particularly Sociologists for Women in Society, in the process of disciplinary transformation." Betsy Lucal
Betsy Lucal is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Indiana University South Bend, where she also teaches in the Women’s Studies program. She teaches courses on gender and sexuality, sociological theory, sociology of food, social movements and making sense of college life. She serves as Deputy Editor for Gender & Society and on the editorial boards of Teaching Sociology and the Gender Section of Sociological Compass. She currently chairs the American Sociological Association’s Section on Teaching and Learning in Sociology and is completing a term as chair of ASA’s Committee on the Status of GLBT Persons in Sociology. She is a member of IU’s Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching (FACET) and winner of the IUSB Distinguished Teaching Award, as well as the all-IU Sylvia E. Bowman Award for teaching excellence. She earned all of her degrees at Kent State University (BGS ’89, MA ’91, PhD ’96).
Homepage of Betsy Lucal
Kent State University
Friday, March 6th
Dr. Cecilia Ridgeway, Dept. of Sociology, Stanford University
SWS Distinguished Feminist Lecturer 2009
1-3pmWorkshop: Mentoring
Merrill Hall Room 221, Workshop and Free Luncheon (RSVP required)
4-5:30pm Lecture: Framed Before We Know It: How Gender Shapes Social Relations
Merrill Hall Room 107, Lecture (Free Childcare Provided in Merrill Hall Room 221)
Cecilia L. Ridgeway is the Lucie Stern Professor of Social Sciences in the Department of Sociology at Stanford University. Her research addresses the role that social hierarchies in everyday interaction play in stratification and social inequality, especially in regard to gender. She is the author of Gender, Interaction, and Inequality (Springer-Verlag, 1992) and articles on this topic in American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review, Social Forces, and Journal of Social Issues. She is past editor of Social Psychology Quarterly and recipient of the 2005 Cooley-Mead Award for career contribution to social psychology.
Homepage of Cecilia Ridgeway.
Please email layers2@kent.edu until February 17th!
University of Akron
Thursday, February 26th
Dr. Betsy Lucal, Dept of Sociology/Anthropology, IUSB
1-4pm Workshop: Making Sense of Intersex, Transgender and Bisexuality: Resources for teaching.
Student Union Room 308
The workshop will focus on helping participants make sense of these complex topics so that they can better include them in their courses. Betsy Lucal will provide a conceptual framework, suggestions for readings and films and other recommendations for successful introduction of these important topics. Recommended reading: Building Boxes and Policing Boundaries: (De)Constructing Intersexuality, Transgender and Bisexuality. Sociology Compass. March 2008.
6 -7.30pm, Lecture: Talkin’ about a (Still Missing?) Revolution: Reflections on Two Decades of Feminist Sociology
Student Union Ballroom B, free childcare provided
"In this paper, I analyze the numerous examinations of the state of the feminist revolution in US sociology. I provide some contextualization by positioning the debate alongside my own experiences as a US feminist sociologist, suggesting that one’s standpoint influences one’s assessment of the status and extent of feminist revolution in US sociology. As someone young enough to have entered sociology with the assumption that studying gender was legitimate and perfectly acceptable, and that I could build a career as a feminist sociologist, my perspective is likely different from those who entered a more hostile field in the 1960s and 1970s. I also examine the role of organizations, particularly Sociologists for Women in Society, in the process of disciplinary transformation." Betsy Lucal
Betsy Lucal is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Indiana University South Bend, where she also teaches in the Women’s Studies program. She teaches courses on gender and sexuality, sociological theory, sociology of food, social movements and making sense of college life. She serves as Deputy Editor for Gender & Society and on the editorial boards of Teaching Sociology and the Gender Section of Sociological Compass. She currently chairs the American Sociological Association’s Section on Teaching and Learning in Sociology and is completing a term as chair of ASA’s Committee on the Status of GLBT Persons in Sociology. She is a member of IU’s Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching (FACET) and winner of the IUSB Distinguished Teaching Award, as well as the all-IU Sylvia E. Bowman Award for teaching excellence. She earned all of her degrees at Kent State University (BGS ’89, MA ’91, PhD ’96).
Homepage of Betsy Lucal
Kent State University
Friday, March 6th
Dr. Cecilia Ridgeway, Dept. of Sociology, Stanford University
SWS Distinguished Feminist Lecturer 2009
1-3pmWorkshop: Mentoring
Merrill Hall Room 221, Workshop and Free Luncheon (RSVP required)
4-5:30pm Lecture: Framed Before We Know It: How Gender Shapes Social Relations
Merrill Hall Room 107, Lecture (Free Childcare Provided in Merrill Hall Room 221)
Cecilia L. Ridgeway is the Lucie Stern Professor of Social Sciences in the Department of Sociology at Stanford University. Her research addresses the role that social hierarchies in everyday interaction play in stratification and social inequality, especially in regard to gender. She is the author of Gender, Interaction, and Inequality (Springer-Verlag, 1992) and articles on this topic in American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review, Social Forces, and Journal of Social Issues. She is past editor of Social Psychology Quarterly and recipient of the 2005 Cooley-Mead Award for career contribution to social psychology.
Homepage of Cecilia Ridgeway.
2/14/2009
The Vagina Monologues...
... took place in Akron (as in hundreds of other places) in honor of the V-Day, with fantastic belly dance..
... and two SWS members as performers - AWESOME job Mary and Kelly!...
...and a lotta vaginas in many forms (here presented by the fatastofeminist GradCROW president and L.I.P.Service activist Stephanie).
Here come the moving pictures!
Vagina Monologues: The Lists
... and two SWS members as performers - AWESOME job Mary and Kelly!...
...and a lotta vaginas in many forms (here presented by the fatastofeminist GradCROW president and L.I.P.Service activist Stephanie).
Here come the moving pictures!
Vagina Monologues: The Lists
Vagina Monologues: Reclaiming Cunt
2/11/2009
SWS Winter Meeting Savannah
Quick impressions from the SWS Savannah winter meeting, a full album can be found here. Ou own roundtable on local SWS chapters went really good! And the standing ovations for the Gender & Society founders (in the pic Judith Lorber, Mary Frank Fox, Cynthia Fuchs Epstein and Chris Bose) were just compelling among the really good and intense program this year....
1/14/2009
Save the dates: Gender Lectures 2009
Be sure to save the dates - we welcome you to join us for the first
SWS Akron/Kent - Gender Lectures SPRING 2009
University of Akron: Thursday, February 26th
Dr. Betsy Lucal, Dept of Sociology/Anthropology, IUSB
1pm-4pm Workshop, Student Union, University of Akron
Making Sense of Intersex, Transgender and Bisexuality: Resources for teaching.
A related article and materials can be retrieved for free via Sociology Compass.
6 pm, Lecture, Student Union Ballroom B
Talkin’ about a (Still Missing?) Revolution: Reflections on Two Decades of Feminist Sociology.
Betsy Lucal is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Indiana University South Bend, where she also teaches in the Women’s Studies program. She teaches courses on gender and sexuality, sociological theory, sociology of food, social movements and making sense of college life. She serves as Deputy Editor for Gender & Society and on the editorial boards of Teaching Sociology and the Gender Section of Sociological Compass. She currently chairs the American Sociological Association’s Section on Teaching and Learning in Sociology and is completing a term as chair of ASA’s Committee on the Status of GLBT Persons in Sociology. She is a member of IU’s Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching (FACET) and winner of the IUSB Distinguished Teaching Award, as well as the all-IU Sylvia E. Bowman Award for teaching excellence. She earned all of her degrees at Kent State University (BGS ’89, MA ’91, PhD ’96).
Homepage of Betsy Lucal
Kent State University: Friday, March 6th
Dr. Cecilia Ridgeway, Dept. of Sociology, Stanford University
SWS Distinguished Feminist Lecturer 2009
am-TBA,
Workshop: Mentoring
pm-TBA,
Lecture: Framed Before We Know It: How Gender Shapes Social Relations
Cecilia L. Ridgeway is the Lucie Stern Professor of Social Sciences in the Department of Sociology at Stanford University. Her research addresses the role that social hierarchies in everyday interaction play in stratification and social inequality, especially in regard to gender. She is the author of Gender, Interaction, and Inequality (Springer-Verlag, 1992) and articles on this topic in American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review, Social Forces, and Journal of Social Issues. She is past editor of Social Psychology Quarterly and recipient of the 2005 Cooley-Mead Award for career contribution to social psychology.
Homepage of Cecilia Ridgeway.
All lectures and workshops are free, and open to the interested public of whatever background! Please visit OUR BLOG for updates
and/or email da18@uakron.edu to join the Mailinglist, or if you have questions!
SWS is a non-profit scientific and educational organization of sociologists and others dedicated to exploring the contributions which sociology can, does and should make to the investigation of and humanization of current gender arrangements. The local SWS chapters of Akron and Kent have been active for many years now in an attempt to engage young students and encourage extra-academic allies and friends to participate in creating feminist social change. Together the SWS chapters of Akron and Kent were awarded the "Distinguished Feminist Lecturer Award 2008/09" of the national SWS-organization, which was an incentive to organize the first SWS - gender lectures on each campus in Spring 2009, which will be continued in the following semesters.
SWS Akron/Kent - Gender Lectures SPRING 2009
University of Akron: Thursday, February 26th
Dr. Betsy Lucal, Dept of Sociology/Anthropology, IUSB
1pm-4pm Workshop, Student Union, University of Akron
Making Sense of Intersex, Transgender and Bisexuality: Resources for teaching.
A related article and materials can be retrieved for free via Sociology Compass.
6 pm, Lecture, Student Union Ballroom B
Talkin’ about a (Still Missing?) Revolution: Reflections on Two Decades of Feminist Sociology.
Betsy Lucal is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Indiana University South Bend, where she also teaches in the Women’s Studies program. She teaches courses on gender and sexuality, sociological theory, sociology of food, social movements and making sense of college life. She serves as Deputy Editor for Gender & Society and on the editorial boards of Teaching Sociology and the Gender Section of Sociological Compass. She currently chairs the American Sociological Association’s Section on Teaching and Learning in Sociology and is completing a term as chair of ASA’s Committee on the Status of GLBT Persons in Sociology. She is a member of IU’s Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching (FACET) and winner of the IUSB Distinguished Teaching Award, as well as the all-IU Sylvia E. Bowman Award for teaching excellence. She earned all of her degrees at Kent State University (BGS ’89, MA ’91, PhD ’96).
Homepage of Betsy Lucal
Kent State University: Friday, March 6th
Dr. Cecilia Ridgeway, Dept. of Sociology, Stanford University
SWS Distinguished Feminist Lecturer 2009
am-TBA,
Workshop: Mentoring
pm-TBA,
Lecture: Framed Before We Know It: How Gender Shapes Social Relations
Cecilia L. Ridgeway is the Lucie Stern Professor of Social Sciences in the Department of Sociology at Stanford University. Her research addresses the role that social hierarchies in everyday interaction play in stratification and social inequality, especially in regard to gender. She is the author of Gender, Interaction, and Inequality (Springer-Verlag, 1992) and articles on this topic in American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review, Social Forces, and Journal of Social Issues. She is past editor of Social Psychology Quarterly and recipient of the 2005 Cooley-Mead Award for career contribution to social psychology.
Homepage of Cecilia Ridgeway.
All lectures and workshops are free, and open to the interested public of whatever background! Please visit OUR BLOG for updates
and/or email da18@uakron.edu to join the Mailinglist, or if you have questions!
SWS is a non-profit scientific and educational organization of sociologists and others dedicated to exploring the contributions which sociology can, does and should make to the investigation of and humanization of current gender arrangements. The local SWS chapters of Akron and Kent have been active for many years now in an attempt to engage young students and encourage extra-academic allies and friends to participate in creating feminist social change. Together the SWS chapters of Akron and Kent were awarded the "Distinguished Feminist Lecturer Award 2008/09" of the national SWS-organization, which was an incentive to organize the first SWS - gender lectures on each campus in Spring 2009, which will be continued in the following semesters.
1/08/2009
Prep for the Winter Meeting Roundtable
The SWS winter meeting in Savannah/Georgia is coming up in the beginning of February, hooray! Michelle, Jodi, and Tiffany (pic), Marie, and myself submitted an abstract and will facilitate a round table centered around activism of local SWS chapters. We start on individual and group interviews now, and are positive and visionary that a toolkit for local chapters will evolve down the road.
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