| Area and Area Chair Contact Information |
Area Discription |
| American Studies Brian E. Hack & Caterina Y. Pierre Area Chairs 402 Graham Avenue #173 Brooklyn, NY 11211 bhack@kingsborough.edu cpierre@kingsborough.edu |
The American Studies Area of the Mid-Atlantic Popular/American Culture Association is seeking papers from interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary perspectives that investigate the actions, influences, and phenomena that have formed American society. Though the field of American Studies may approach American culture from a variety of directions, it focuses on America as a whole; as a result, papers on all facets of American society and/or culture are welcome. Topics can include, but are not limited to: Darwinism & American Culture; Eugenics and American Culture; American History; American Literature; Cultural Diversity; Expressive Forms; History of Ideas; Cultural Phenomena; Secret Societies; American Freethinkers; Historical Toys and Games; and House and Garden. |
|
Janna Eggebeen |
The area of Art welcomes papers that discuss some aspect of the relationship of art to American society and popular culture. Art includes the traditional plastic arts of painting, sculpture, and works on paper, as well as performance art, installation art, earth art, folk and outsider art, “craft” or amateur art, and multimedia and digital art. Professors interested in coordinating sessions of student papers, graduate or undergraduate, are encouraged to submit panel proposals. Topics include but are not limited to: • Activist and populist art movements or cooperatives • Scandals and controversies over art works, exhibitions, and funding • Art schools, courses, and training • Art criticism, methodology, theory, and popularly held ideas • Cultural institutions, the gallery system, and the artist’s studio • Art market, competitions, promotion and patronage, and consumer trends |
| Beowulf to Shakespeare: Popular Culture in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance Diana Vecchio Widener University 1 University Place Chester, PA 19013 dmvecchio@widener.edu |
The wealth of material found in the literature of the Middle Ages and Renaissance continues to attract modern audiences with new works in fiction, film, and other areas, whether through adaptation or incorporation of themes and characters. This is a call for papers or panels dealing with any aspect of medieval or renaissance representation in popular culture. Topics for this area include, but are not limited to: – modern portrayals of any aspect of Arthurian legends or Shakespeare – modern versions or adaptations of any other Medieval or Renaissance writer – modern investigations of historical figures such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, The Richards, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scotts – teaching medieval and renaissance texts to modern students – Medieval or Renaissance links to fantasy fiction, gaming, comics, video games, etc. – the Middle Ages or Renaissance on the Internet – Renaissance fairs Presentations can be in the form of individual papers, panels, workshops, roundtables, or other formats, and presenters are urged to consider choosing an alternative format if it would better suit their topic. |
| Children and Childhood Studies Vibiana Bowman Cvetkovic Rutgers - The State University bowman@camden.rutgers.edu |
Children and Childhood Studies (CCS) is an area of study that focuses on the societal, cultural, and political forces which shape the lives of children and the concept of childhood. CCS research draws from the behavioral and social sciences as well as the arts. Papers in this area examine the impact of popular culture on children and childhood, as well as the role of children and young adults as influencers and creators of that popular culture. |
Comics, Cartoons, and Video Gaming Gary Earl Ross |
Comics, Cartoons, and Video Games all represent some kind of visual meta-reality that invites participants inside a singular or collective artistic imagination. The Comics, Cartoons, and Video Gaming area invites papers that discuss all aspects of comic books, comic strips, graphic novels, cartoons, both print and animated, and video games in any form, from simple pong to educational challenges to complex, painstakingly rendered simulations, strategy games, and first-person shooters. Papers may examine historical contexts (i.e., comic books and the Depression, superhero comics and WW II, the birth of video gaming), modern themes and trends (video games and obesity, Playboy cartoons and the sexual revolution, masculinity and video game violence), complex storytelling (the modern graphic novel, the first person shooter as graphic novel), or any other aspect of any graphic imaginary world. |
|
J. Joseph Edgette,Ph.D |
Papers are welcome on any aspect of American cultural responses to death. Paper proposals may be from any appropriate discipline and cover any historical period. General topic areas include but are not limited to the following: 1. Attitudes toward and practices relating to death, including the medicalization of death, the social construction of death, death in art and literature, funeral customs, the evolution of the funeral business and the cemetery, changing attitudes toward the dead body and its disposal, and burial and mourning practices. 2. Memorialization, including the history, iconography, and rhetoric of gravemarkers and memorials; regional and ethnic practices; and gender, class, and race in the cemetery. |
| Decorative Arts and Design Sarah A. Lichtman School of Art and Design History and Theory
Parsons, The New School for Design
2 West 13th Street, #609New York, NY 10011 lichtmas@newschool.edu |
This panel seeks papers that explore the relationship between decorative arts, design and popular culture. The field of design history and design studies considers objects through multiple viewpoints and methodologies, topics that elucidate the nature of design as a practice of everyday life. To that end, this area encourages and invites submissions covering a broad range of topics related to – but not limited to – interior design, industrial design, dress, textiles, fashion, ceramics, furniture, graphics and media ranging from the pre-industrial to the present day, whether amateur or professional. |
| Detective Fiction Alexander Howe Department. of English U. of the District of Columbia 218 East Mason Ave. #25 Alexandria, VA 22301 howe_a@comcast.net |
The Detective Fiction Area welcomes proposals on all aspects and periods of mystery and detective fiction. This includes ancient and modern precursors to Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841), as well as successors working in the multitude of sub-genres falling under the larger designations of detective, mystery, or crime fiction. Proposals that address the intersection of detective fiction with other media (e.g., graphic novels, film, television, etc.) and genres (e.g., sci-fi, horror, domestic fiction, etc.) are especially welcome. |
|
Katherine McMahon |
Disability Studies is a recent and growing discipline that draws on work done in fields as diverse as history, health sciences, English, anthropology, women's studies, and education. Papers interested in exploring the lived experience of disability, social constructions of disability, or disability studies itself are all equally welcome. Following are some possible questions to consider: What gives a human life value? How does a culture's attitudes about disability reveal its most basic assumptions and ideologies? How does the lived experience of disability vary according to class, gender, race, sexuality, or culture? How have our definitions of disability changed over time? How does the media (mis?)represent people with disabilities? And what is often left out when we talk/teach disability studies? |
|
Tara Weiss |
The environment is arguably the most significant aspect of human culture and society, pervading every fact of our personal and professional lives, from where we live, work, and play to how we choose to think about our environment.. Environment and Culture as an area explores the
various ways in which the environment shapes and is shaped by human
action/interaction. Papers from all disciplines and historical periods
are invited, and papers from graduate students are especially
encouraged. Panels of 3-4 presenters are also welcome. Appropriate
topics include, but are not limited to: – environmental literature – the arts and the environment – environmental philosophy – natural history – nature and culture – urban and suburban environments – contemporary issues – politics and the environment |
| Fashion, Appearance & Material Culture Aeran Park Department of Fashion Mount Mary College 2900 N. Menomonee River Parkaway Milwaukee, WI 53222 parka@mtmary.edu |
Fashion, Appearance, & Consumer Identity is concerned with the areasof clothing, historical costume, fashion aesthetics, fashion and appearance, fashion marketing, merchandising, retailing, the psychological/ sociological aspects of dress and cultural appearances,as well as any areas relating to consumption and consumer identity. Papers from all disciplines are welcome. Innovative and new research in the areas of fashion and consumerism are encouraged! |
|
Gary Earl Ross |
The Film area is devoted to scholarship on all aspects of the motion picture, as viewed on the theater screen, on television, or via digital media. The area encompasses narrative films as well as documentaries, both live action and animated, feature length and short, silent and sound, color and black and white,domestic and international, majo studio and independent. Papers may examine everything from the specifics and symbols of individual films to themes present in multiple films to the relevance of film icons, from comparisons of films with source material to the social impact of films or film technology on society to the business of motion pictures. All presentations will have in common the understanding that film is a major popular cultural artifact with important things to say about the human condition. |
|
Jill Nussel
Indiana University- Purdue University Fort Wayne nusselj@ipfw.edu |
Myriad factors shape our relationship with food. What we choose to eat (or not eat), how we acquire it, whom we eat it with, and how we consume it is influenced by technology, economics, politics, fashion, religion, and other aspects of culture. MAPACA's Food and Culture sessions invite scholars from all disciplines to address the intersections of food and the human experience. |
| Harry Potter Phenomenon Richard Currie College of Staten Island CUNY 2800 Victory Blvd. Staten Island, NY 10314 RCu8598882@aol.com |
Papers are sought that explore the Harry Potter phenomenon in terms of sparking adolescent reading and adolescent popular culture involvement. Why the three protagonists have become idols is one area of exploration. |
|
Lisa Miller |
Horror welcomes proposals for papers dealing with all aspects of horror and the supernatural in various genres, such as literature, film, television, music and as part of popular culture (fashion, artifacts, attitudes, etc.) |
|
Mary Lou Nemanic |
The Internet Culture area is an eclectic category which invites submissions in the areas of identity construction via the Internet, art forms and social forms on the Internet, convergent media and new media creations on the Internet, Internet symbolism, and examinations of the ways in which the Internet is used artistically, commercially, socially, and politically. |
J.R.R. Tolkien & C.S. Lewis: Books & Films Bill Mistichelli |
The J.R.R. Tolkien/C.S. Lewis panel of the Mid-Atlantic
Popular/American Culture Association Conference seeks abstracts ofpapers (250 words) that address various aspects of each author's works. Discussion of film versions of Rings and Narnia are welcome.The chair is open to a wide variety of topics and critical approaches. The aim of the panel is to identify and characterize the strong interest currently given to both writers as serious thinkers and gifted artists with immense appeal as popular entertainers. Hard copies of abstracts should be Include the following information with your submission: |
|
Randolph Ortiz |
Latino/a Area Studies is interested in research into all aspects of Latino/a popular culture - its production abroad or in the U.S.; its consumption, and intersections with race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality from any disciplinary approach. Some areas individuals might consider exploring are: Revisiting/Reinterpreting Machismo/Marianismo; Latinization of U.S. culture/ Americanization of Latino/Latin American culture; Organizing Latino/a Social Movements; Political mobilization of Latinos/as via Media; Portrayals of Latinos/as on U.S. and Latino media (U.S./International). Papers should be delivered in English. |
Lesbian/Gay/Bi/ Transsexual Studies Mark John Isola |
The LGBT Studies Area of MAP/ACA welcomes proposals that are of relevance to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Proposals are encouraged that focus on any medium of popular or American culture, such as novels, nonfiction, comics/graphic novels, theatre, television, movies, advertising, new media, or politics and agitprop. Proposals of interest for next year's conference might include: *The Violet Quill writers *HIV/AIDS in art, literature, or popular culture *LGBT Television (The L Word, Queer as Folk, Logo, Here) *Popular gay romance novels *LGBT comics/graphic novels *Visual and verbal narratives from the gay marriage debates. However, proposals addressing any topic of LGBT significance in popular or American culture are welcome. Please submit 500 word proposals and CV, including your professional affiliation (as Word friendly documents) to Mark John Isola at markjohn at alumni.tufts.edu. Click through to join the MAP/ACA LGBT Studies’ Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=100000471067813#/group.ph p?gid=173903857907 |
|
Scott Henderson |
The Music Area invites submissions from individuals or organized panels (3 or 4 persons) focusing on any topic relating to any genre or any time period of music. Topics can include but are not limited to individual artists, albums, CDs, genres, periods, performances, critics, magazines, music and art, music on radio, television, and on stage and in academia. Abstracts on any topic of music will be considered. |
|
Ron Denson |
Proposals focusing on any issue pertaining to the experience, literature, representation, or history of Native Americans, especially in the 500 years snce the conquest, are welcome. Some questions to consider: How have Native Americans been portrayed in mainstream popular culture through the centuries--in various media such as fiction, poetry, film, television, painting, and advertising, or as sports mascots and in educational institutions--and how have Native Americans themselves resisted or subverted such representations? What can such language and images tell us about the cultural and political dynamics of the relationship between the first peoples of and latecomers to North America? Proposals for both individual papers and entire panels are welcome. |
| Popular Architecture and the Built Environment Loretta Lorance Area Chair PO Box 461, Inwood Station New York, NY 10034 llorance@earthlink.net |
This area explores the ways that we shape and are shaped by the built environment, individual structures, and architecture culture. It seeks papers treating the theories, personalities, styles, and technologies that influence buildings, city planning, and community design. The material under consideration may be hypothetical or realized, fantastic or practical, controversial or traditional, political or personal or any combination of these. Topics from any time period and any culture are welcome. Previous papers include: “Navel of the Earth: Understanding a Late Archaic Shell Ring on Saint Catherine’s Island, Georgia”, “Contemporary Native Architecture in Humboldt County, California”, “Turning the Page: Structures and Structuring in ‘House of Leaves’”, “Architecture & Identity in Lowell, MA: Making a City Out of A Mill Town”, “Do Your Own Thing: American Pop Culture & the Built Environment During the 1970s & 80s”, “*First Paper Title: Freedom & the Endless Townscape: Popular Culture as Reflected in Broadacre City & Zelony Gorod” and “Inwood – Not Washington Heights, Not the Bronx” Undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals are encouraged to submit proposals for individual papers, full panels, round table discussions or alternative formats. |
|
Chloé Avril |
Popular Culture and Activism welcomes papers or presentations that explore the sphere of activism in the production of popular culture. Whether historical or contemporary, investigations into the role of activism in shaping popular culture or the role of popular culture in shaping activism are encouraged. Possible topics might include the way individual activists or groups have utilized popular media or sought to influence popular media. Other issues to consider are: how have activist groups been portrayed in popular culture? What forms of activism are being employed on college campuses or in local communities, and how does this tie in with or shape popular culture? What are the political or ideological implications of popular culture as reflected in television shows, films, music videos, the internet, magazines, fiction, etc. |
|
Bill Mistichelli |
The Popular Literary Landscapes panel of
the Mid-Atlantic Popular/American Culture
Association Conference seeks abstracts of papers (250 words) that address landscape descriptions which serve to identify and define important aspects of the human condition. The descriptions may be of fictional or actual places in verse or prose. The aim of the panel is to explore the presence of important cultural values/ideals/concerns/debates which traditionally inform the descriptions of popular literary landscapes. Hard copies of abstracts should be Include the following information with your submission: |
|
Anne K. Kaler |
Within the area of popular novels, this panel seeks to cover critical investigations of those works of literature which fall outside of the recognized canon of literature. For example, a paper on a romance writer (Jayne Ann Krentz, Nora Roberts) might mention Madame Bovary or Jane Eyre but would not center its argument on Flaubert or Bronte. Instead, papers concentrate on lesser known authors, genres, subgenres, topics, style, textual analysis, interpretations, comparisons, influences, use in classroom teaching, etc. |
|
Pamela Detrixhe |
The Religion & Popular Culture area invites both read papers and innovative presentations which explore specific intersections of religion and popular culture, namely: Religious Retail/Sacred Shopping, Religious Toys/Play, Religious Media, and the utilization of Mass Produced Spirituality in Yard Art and Home Altars. Panel or paper proposals on methods or other themes relevant to Religion & Popular Culture are also welcome.. |
|
Marilyn Stern |
Science Fiction and Fantasy welcomes papers/presentations in any critical, theoretical, or (inter)disciplinary approach to any topic related to SF/F: art; literature; radio; film; television; video, role-playing, and multi-player online games. Though not an exhaustive list, potential presenters may wish to consider the following:
|
|
Kimberly M. Golden |
The area of Sexuality and Erotica invites papers that address any aspect of human sexual experience and erotica in any form (literary, artistic -- visual, musical, dance, theatrical, photographic). Related areas of interest may include the artistic, sociological and/or political implications of sexual attitudes, education, and orientation; sexuality in history and world cultures; beliefs and practices of ethnic, religious, and cultural groups; gender and sexuality; psychosexual considerations; sex therapy; sex toys, aids and devices; unusual or deviant sexual practices; the role or influence of sexuality in the arts; sexuality, crime, and the law; and sexual symbolism in any field of human endeavor. |
| Sports Joseph Trumino St. John's University truminoj@stjohns.edu |
The Sports category welcomes a broad range of scholarship that is well researched and contains sports-related themes. Scholarship could relate to routines and procedures in sports, the sociology of sports, representational issues in sports, commercialism in sports, sports history, media and sports, and/or sports performance issues. Previously unexamined alternative topics may also be offered. Presentations should offer scholarly rigor, yet be understandable not only to sports scholars, but also to generalists who may have an interest in sports. Proposals should offer a short abstract, a one to three page description of your goals/methods, and a brief bibliography. |
|
Nicholas Schonberger |
Do you tattoo? Are tattoos body art? rebellion? personal expression? clanship? decadence? reminiscence? invitation to look? disguise? This session invites discussion of tattoos, their meanings, their creation, their role/s in our lives. Share your knowledge, tattoos, and techniques. |
|
Lois Ascher |
This area addresses the connections between technology and culture. Of special concern is the subtle shaping of values, beliefs and behaviors in society induced by those links. Papers and panels which address the ways in which modern culture and individual identities are influenced by relations between technology and society are especially encouraged. |
|
Scott Ash |
Television's impact on socialization and information is enormous. In this regard, the television interest area for MAPACA seeks to investigate the relationship between television and our lives. How do we define our lives, our self-knowledge according to the images provided by the medium of television? From the WWE to Oprah to Survivor to CNN and beyond. Are we being provided rigorous information to help the individual be a productive citizen in a society? Have we been socialized, at least in part by television, to be merely consumers? Is television's role to challenge or pacify? Can we expect programming which examines the issues of our complex lives; or must information be made reductive in order to appeal to an average? These are some of the questions we seek to answer, and anything else you want-- as long as it deals with television's complicated relationship to our lives, especially right now. |
Theater and Performance Studies Jason D. Scott |
The study of theatre and performance often reveals unexpected insights into a culture's historical and ideological conditions. Papers in this area will address how the institutions and practices of the performance define concepts of taste, suggest causes and solutions for social conflict, and reflect the importance of race, gender, and religion in relation to national or regional identity. We seek presentations, panels, and papers which focus on the theatre as a reflection of popular and/or American culture. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to: *Dramatic literature and theory *Theory and practice of dramaturgy *Actors and Acting *Stagecraft and design *The business of theatre *Theatre audiences *Theatrical criticism *Theatrical institutions *Directors and Directing Theory *Biographical studies *Non-traditional theatre *Theatre and other disciplines *Theatre and ritual *Political theatre *Theatre/performance and media *Performance art and solo performance *The histories, theories, and practices of performance studies |
| Travel and Tourism Jennifer Erica Sweda University of Pennsylvania IPC/Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center 3420 Walnut St. Philadelphia, PA 19104 jesweda@pobox.upenn.edu |
TRAVEL AND TOURISM Travel and Tourism Studies continues to gain popularity as an academic field, in part because of its inter-disciplinary nature. The Travel and Tourism area seeks papers that explore and discuss any aspect of travel and tourism. Topics for this area include, but are not limited to, the following: - heritage tourism - travel and gender/race/class - material culture and tourism - writing travel - spatial relations and tourism - politics and tourism - personal travel narratives |
|
Blagovesta Momchedjikova |
"When a man rides a long time through wild regions, he feels the desire for a city," writes Italo Calvino in his beautiful account of imaginary urban environments, Invisible Cities. The Urban Culture area of MAP/ACA seeks presenters who explore the varied ways in which humans inhabit the city (real, imaginary, lost) and negotiate their urban desires. Papers addressing issues such as displacement, multi-cultural encounter, hybridization, and the production or loss of public space in the context of the metropolitan city are welcome. How do the home, the museum, world's fairs, ethnic food, architecture, spoken and written word, street performance, photography, film, sound, music, and movement, help us inscribe the city and to what end? How does the city inscribe us? Historical or ethnographic studies of cities, poetic accounts of personal geographies through cities, and explorations of highly orchestrated or surprisingly improvised events in designated areas in the city are encouraged. If interested in participating in a workshop on "writing the urban," in addition to presenting a paper, please, indicate so. Please, send your 1-page paper abstracts (including preliminary titles and current contact information) and 1-paragraph recent bios virus-free. |
|
Marilyn Stern |
Vampire Romance welcomes papers/presentations which examine any of the recent (and not so recent) representations of vampires not as blood-sucking fiends, but as romantic heroes in film, television, art, and literature. Though not an exhaustive list, potential presenters may wish to consider the following:
For those who relish their vampire fiends, MAPACA also has a place for you. See our “Horror” area. |
|
Kimberly M. Golden |
We invite submissions for several sessions on Violence and Society. As an area of study, "Violence and Society" includes the verbal, physical, mental, emotional, and/or implied abuse directed towards any individual or group of individuals. Areas of examination may include, but are not limited to, "abuse" (objectional or demeaning portrayal) of women, children, gays, or any other targeted population/individuals/race through the media, advertisement, music and/or music television videos, literature, television, movies, societal behavior, human interaction, communication, education, religion, and any other societal dimension. Related areas of study may include domestic violence, violence and self-perception, violence and self-esteem, violence and sexuality, violence and sex roles, abusive personalities and behaviors, violence and socio-economic conditions, violence and race, cultural heritage and violence, gang involvement, and environmental factors and violence. |
| War Matthew B. Hill Dept. of Humanities Coppin State University 2500 W. North Ave. Baltimore, MD 21216 redmanx999@gmail.com |
War has been one of the few constants in human history, waged by nations, tribes, and other factions for numerous reasons--some valid and noble, some questionable. This area seeks to explore the ways that wars--declared and undeclared, just and unjust, sacred and profane, fictional and "real"--have impacted the social, economic, technological, ideological, and other aspects of culture. |
| Women's Studies | Women's Studies seeks papers, panels and roundtables that *women and the media MAPACA supports all approaches; one goal of this conference is to create interdisciplinary exchange. As such, the Women's Studies area seeks papers by scholars from all fields of study. Students, both graduate and undergraduate, are encouraged to apply. |
|
Mary Lou Nemanic |
This area examines representations of the working class in all areas of culture, including but not limited to art, literature, film, and the media. Some topics and issues include differentiations between working class, working poor, blue collar, and middle class labels, including immigrant and ethnic portrayals. Other topics may deal with cross-cultural analysis of working class culture and other aspects of society, such as counter/subcultures. Also welcome are issues of working class culture within a globalized society, as well as the role of the popular imagination in conceptualizing working class representations. Academics with working class backgrounds have written extensively regarding experiences within the academy and conflicts inherent in moving between worlds. Submissions dealing with these and other aspects are welcomed. |
| Special Sessions | There are no special sessions for the 2010 MAPACA conference to date. |
| A Different Area or Not Sure Where? | If your proposal falls under a different area or you are not sure where your proposal might fit, please submit it to the Program Chair, who will direct it to the areas that seem most appropriate. |
