Tara Brabazon's blog
Convenor: Bryn Gandy
Small nations are big hitters in popular culture. Bryn Gandy leads the popualr culture to explore the impact of small nations in leading popular culture. Based in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Bryn and members of this hub will investigate the specialism, particularity and distinctiveness of small nations. The goal for this hub is exploring small nations with a big popular cultural impact.
Members:
Professor Tara Brabazon
Faracy Grouse
Dr Mike Kent
Dr Leanne McRae
Mick Winter
Convenor: Grantley Greene
The Media Literacy for Social Change hub explores how an attention to media literacy can create social change and social justice. Grantley, who is currently completing his doctorate on this topic, leads this hub in thinking about how social change is created through not only 'knowing' about the media, but by changing it.
Members:
Professor Tara Brabazon
Dr Leanne McRae
Dr Mike Kent
Mick Winter
Convenor: Mick Winter
Mobility Studies is a new mechanism to both understand injustice and to discover mechanisms to correct it. Mick Winter is a specialist in the potential of mobile phones to disable and enable, disconnect and reconnect. The mobility studies hub of the Popular Culture Collective takes this new phrase and subdiscipline as a motif of transformation of change and challenge.
Popular culture moves. New technologies move. Mick and PCC colleagues explore how movement create options for a new way of thinking.
Members:
Professor Tara Brabazon
Dr Mike Kent
Dr Leanne McRae
Three special mentions in the news for this month. As I suggested in my director's cut, there are many projects 'in process' or 'in development' that I can't announce yet. But three special people deserve our attention this October.
Firstly, I wanted to give a shout out to our PCC editor, Angela Thomas-Jones. We have just received the news that Ange is now Dr Ange. Her thesis was passed with high commendation by examiners. We love Ange in the PCC and she has contact with most members most of the time. On behalf of us all, Ange — congratulations. A great woman. A great achievement.
Well, I always hoped it would happen. May 2007 was the month. There is certain popular culture that not only informs or frames our lives, but actually is our life. If we are lucky, then these popular cultural revelations not only provide transitory enlightenment for the duration of a song, a year or a relationship, but last a lifetime.
My popular cultural lifelong companion has always been the Pet Shop Boys. I fell in love with Neil Tennant's coat in 'West End Girls.' Ten years later, I bought its copy and still wear it through the streets of Brighton. Chris Lowe taught me through my twenties-no matter how unconvincingly-that casual wear may indeed be an option.
All the teachers in the collective have been marking like champions through the month, cleaning up their courses. I will be reporting back on all the teaching and learning from the PCC in June, but I wanted to report some radio work this month.
Debbie Hindley, our resident sporting expert, appeared on radio through the month offering commentary on the role of 'celebrity' in the behaviour of male footballers, whether it be their behaviour with women, alcohol, cars or drugs. Debbie has demonstrated a long term interest in this topic, and I am sure it will develop into a self standing piece for her in the next few months. However Debbie is continuing her commitment to not only scholarship, but the dissemination of that scholarship. Thank you Debbie for the work that you do.
Great news from three of our members this month. As we reported last month, Nick Chinna graduated with first class honours. He has got in touch with the collective this month to tell us about his postgraduate research. Continuing his interests in citizenship and democracy, he is re-evaluating the historiography of the Enlightenment in relation to the contemporary debates concerning the limits of citizenship, democracy and the public sphere. He remains interested in constructing an inclusive, multicultural, democratic and egalitarian body politics. As always, we wish him every success with his project and look forward to continual updates.
We start the next cycle of sporting seasons beginning and others ending. The Premier League finishes as Australian Rules commences. The Cricket World Cup finally staggers to a conclusion while County cricket eases through its early rounds.
So much fantastic news has emerged through the month. While in April I will reporting on many of our members' research projects in progress, I wanted to celebrate some endings — and new beginnings.
Firstly, congratulations to Angela Thomas-Jones — our extraordinary editor — and Debbie Hindley — our Tackling Sport convenor. Both have graduated from their Doctor of Philosophy this month. They were remarkable scholars during their candidature, and are continue to achieve, challenge and question the boundaries of scholarship. Here is a terrific picture of Debbie in full gown.
