Odyssey—August 31, 2004
Originally broadcast 5.25.04 |
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Discrimination and the Law
Ruth Colker—Professor of Law, Ohio State University
Jill Hasday—Professor, University of Chicago Law School
When it comes to combatting discrimination, all groups are not created equal. These disparities underscore long-term debates over what discrimination is and how best to remedy it. How does the law contend with discrimination? Legal scholars Ruth Colker and Jill Hasday join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Colker is the author of Hybrids: Bisexuals, Multiracials, and Other Misfits Under American Law. Hasday has written extensively on antidiscrimination law. |
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Odyssey—August 30, 2004
Originally broadcast 4.6.04 |
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Museums and Displays of Knowledge
Alison Griffiths—Associate Professor of Communication Studies, Baruch College, City University of New York
Harriet Ritvo—Professor of History, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
For centuries, museums have grappled with the question of how to present objects and information. What ideas drive museum displays? Historian of science Harriet Ritvo and film historian Alison Griffiths join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Ritvo is author of The Platypus and the Mermaid: And Other Figments of the Classifying Imagination. She's also working on The Dawn of Green: Manchester, Thirlmere, and the Victorian Environment, a book about the history of environmentalism in Britain. Griffiths is author of Wondrous Difference: Cinema, Anthropology, and Turn-of-the-Century Visual Culture. She's working on a book examining the history of interactivity in museums. |
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Odyssey—August 27, 2004
Originally broadcast 3.11.04 |
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Gothic America
Eric Savoy—Film scholar, University of Montreal
Mary Chapman—Literary scholar, University of British Columbia
The term gothic usually describes violent and macabre forms of culture. Can the
gothic also explain American political life? Film scholar Eric Savoy and literary scholar Mary Chapman join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Savoy is co-editor of American Gothic: New Interventions in a National Narrative. Chapman's writing on American gothic includes the essay “The Masochistic Pleasures of the Gothic: Paternal Incest in Alcott's 'A Marble Woman.'”
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Odyssey—August 26, 2004
Originally aired 3.23.04 |
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Domesticity
Gillian Brown—Professor of English, University of Utah
Christopher Reed—Associate Professor of Art, Lake Forest College
Many of our ideas about femininity, privacy, and consumption are connected to the domestic sphere. Why has domesticity been so important? Literary scholar Gillian Brown and art historian Christopher Reed join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Brown is author of Domestic Individualism: Imagining Self in Nineteenth-Century America. Reed is editor of the book, Not at Home: The Suppression of Domesticity in Modern Art and Architecture. |
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Odyssey—August 25, 2004
Originally broadcast 6.2.04 |
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The Constitution and the Courts
Larry Kramer—Associate Dean for Research and Academics and Professor of Law, New York University School of Law
William Treanor—Dean and Professor of Law, Fordham University School of Law
When it comes to interpreting the Constitution, the U.S. Supreme Court has the final word. But is the preeminence of the judiciary in our system of checks and balances out of step with the framers' original intent? Legal scholars William Treanor and Larry Kramer join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Treanor has written extensively on Constitutional history and the original understanding of the Constitution. Kramer is author of The People Themselves: Popular Constitutionalism and Judicial Review. |
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Odyssey—August 24, 2004
Originally broadcast 5.12.04 |
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Walt Whitman
Jay Grossman—Professor of English, Northwestern University
Michael Warner—Professor of English, Rutgers University, New Brunswick
Whitman's poetry is celebrated as an expression of American individualism. But it's also read as a record of Whitman's religious convictions. How do his poems traverse the ground of religion and secularism in America? Literary scholars Jay Grossman and Michael Warner join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Grossman is author of Reconstituting the American Renaissance: Emerson, Whitman, and the Politics of Representation. Warner is author of Publics and Counter-Publics and editor of the Penguin Classics edition of The Portable Walt Whitman. |
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Odyssey—August 23, 2004
Originally broadcast 5.11.04 |
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Latino Politics
Luis Fraga—Associate Professor of Political Science, Stanford University
Rodolfo de la Garza—Professor of Political Science, Columbia University
From rival immigration proposals to Spanish-language commercials, Hispanic voters are very much at the center of the 2004 presidential campaign. Where does the Hispanic voting bloc fit in the American electorate? Political scientists Rodolfo de la Garza and Luis Fraga join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Garza is co-editor of Awash in the Mainstream: Latinos and the 1996 Elections. Fraga is a visiting fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. He's working on a study titled, “Gender and Ethnicity: The Political Incorporation of Latino and Latina Legislators.” |
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Odyssey—August 20, 2004 |
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Film Forum: Cinema and the City
Giuliana Bruno—Professor of Visual and Environmental Studies, Harvard University
Mark Shiel—Lecturer in Film Studies, University of London
In movies, the American city can be a utopian fantasy or an urban nightmare. In either case films offer a unique way to be involved in the city’s space. How has cinema shaped our experience of the city? Film scholars Giuliana Bruno and Mark Shiel join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Bruno is the author of the book Atlas of Emotion: Journeys in Art, Architecture, and Film. Shiel is at work on the book Radical Agendas: The Politics of Space in American Cinema, 1968-1974.
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Odyssey—August 19, 2004 |
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The American Road
Catherine Gudis—Faculty, Honors College, University of Oklahoma
Marguerite Shaffer—Director and Associate Professor, American Studies Program, Miami University of Ohio
We often think of the road in terms of escape: a place we go to flee other places. But the road itself is also an organized space—with rest stops, roadside attractions, even billboards. The road is hardly no place. So what kind of place is it? Historians Catherine Gudis and Marguerite Shaffer join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Gudis is author of Buyways: Billboards, Automobiles, and the American Landscape. Shaffer is author of See America First: Tourism and National Identity, 1880-1940. |
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Odyssey—August 18, 2004 |
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The Politics of the Closet
George Chauncey—Professor of History, University of Chicago
Douglas Crimp—Acting Codirector, Visual and Cultural Studies Program, Rochester University
After announcing that he's a “gay American,” New Jersey governor James McGreevey resigned from office. Was his revelation a milestone for gay politics or an indication of how little progress has been made in getting openly gay officials into high office? Art historian Douglas Crimp and historian George Chauncey join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Crimp is author of Melancholia and Moralism: Essays on AIDS and Queer Politics. Chauncey is author of Making of a Modern Gay World: 1935-1975 and Why Marriage?: The History Shaping Today's Debate. |
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Odyssey—August 17, 2004 |
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The History of Personality
Richard Fox—Professor of History, University of Southern California
Charles Ponce de Leon—Assistant Professor of History, State University of New York, Purchase
We tend to think of personality as a collection of individual traits. But personality is also an idea with its own history—a product of social, economic, even religious forces. What has shaped our ideas about personality? Cultural historians Richard Fox and Charles Ponce de Leon join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Fox is author of Jesus in America: Personal Savior, Cultural Hero, National Obsession. Ponce de Leon is author of Self Exposure: Human Interest Journalism and the Emergence of Celebrity in America, 1890-1940. |
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Odyssey—August 16, 2004 |
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The Effects of Rape Shield Laws
Michelle Anderson—Faculty, Villanova University School of Law
Jill Hasday—Associate Professor, University of Chicago Law School
The measures are supposed to protect victims' privacy in rape trials, but what rape shield laws are designed to keep out—an accuser's prior sexual history—often makes its way back into the courtroom. Why do these laws fail? Legal scholars Michelle Anderson and Jill Hasday join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Anderson's article, “From Chastity Requirement To Sexuality License: Sexual Consent and a New Rape Shield Law” appeared in the September 2002 edition of the George Washington Law Review. Hasday's article, “Contest and Consent: A Legal History of Marital Rape,” appeared in the October 2000 edition of the California Law Review. She's a visiting professor of law at Vanderbilt University. |
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Odyssey—August 13, 2004 |
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Protestantism and American Identity
Randall Balmer—Ann Whitney Olin Professor of American Religion, Barnard College
Jon Butler—Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Yale University
Protestantism was once the dominant religion in the United States, and a number of features of American culture get traced to Protestant roots. But in terms of numbers, Protestantism is on the decline. How has Protestantism influenced America? Religious Studies scholar Randall Balmer and historian Jon Butler join host Gretchen Helfrich for the show. Balmer is co-author of the book Protestantism in America. Butler is author of the book Awash in a Sea of Faith: Christianizing the American People.
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Odyssey—August 12, 2004 |
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Vernacular Politics
Melissa Harris-Lacewell—Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago
Timothy Melley—Associate Professor, Miami University of Ohio
Politics clearly includes voting, campaigning, and elections. But beyond these official activities, many people develop political ideas in less formal ways. How do these everyday conversations and encounters shape political life in America? Political scientist Melissa Harris-Lacewell and literary scholar Timothy Melley join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Harris-Lacewell is the author of the book Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought. Melley is the author of the book Empire of Conspiracy: The Culture of Paranoia in Postwar America.
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Odyssey—August 11, 2004 |
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The Politics of Academic Freedom
Steve Fuller—Professor of Sociology, University of Warwick
Julie Reuben—Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
The influx of private money to universities raises concerns about academic freedom and the ability of scholars to draw their own conclusions. But is money the only problem? What does academic freedom mean in today’s university? Sociologist Steve Fuller and historian Julie Reuben join host Gretchen Helfrich for the show. Fuller is author of the book The Governance of Science: Ideology and the Future of the Open Society. Reuben is author of the book The Making of the Modern University: Intellectual Transformation and the Marginalization of Morality.
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Odyssey—August 10, 2004 |
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The United States as Homeland
Amy Kaplan—Graduate Chair, Department of English, University of Pennsylvania
Rebecca Saunders—Associate Professor of English, Illinois State University
After September 11, “homeland” entered the American lexicon. It has a variety of meanings, including associations with South African apartheid and with immigrants' political aspirations. What are the political and cultural connotations of “homeland”? Literary scholars Rebecca Saunders and Amy Kaplan join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Saunders is editor of the book, The Concept of the Foreign. She's also coeditor of the journal, Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Kaplan is author of the book, The Anarchy of Empire in the Making of U.S. Culture. Her essay, “Homeland Insecurities: Reflections on Language and Space,” appears in the December 2002 edition of Radical History Review. |
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Odyssey—August 9, 2004 |
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The New Advertising
Jackie Botterill—Lecturer, School of Cultural and Innovation Studies, University of East London
Joseph Turow—Robert Lewis Shayon Professor of Communication, University of Pennsylvania
With the advent of TiVo and popup blockers, consumers can screen out unsolicited advertising better than ever before. So advertisers must fight harder to capture our attention. How is technology changing our relationship to advertising? Cultural studies scholar Jackie Botterill and communications scholar Joseph Turow join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Botterill has authored an edition of Social Communication in Advertising: Consumption in the Mediated Marketplace. Turow is author of Breaking Up America: Advertising and the New Media World. |
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Odyssey—August 6, 2004 |
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Film Forum: Political Thrillers
Douglas Kellner—Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles
Susan Ohmer—Professor, Notre Dame University
The dark side of politics is a popular draw at the movies, where American politics is corrupt and conspiracy-laden, where the real power is hidden from the public, and, of course, where the bad guys are the ones in control. Media scholar Douglas Kellner and American Studies scholar Susan Ohmer join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Kellner is the co-author of the book Camera Politca: The Politics and Ideology of Contemporary Hollywood Film. Ohmer is the author of the book George Gallup in Hollywood. |
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Odyssey—August 5, 2004 |
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Immigration and National Identity in Europe
Ranu Samantrai—Associate Professor of Cultural Studies, Claremont Graduate University
Todd Shepard—Faculty, Department of History, University of Oklahoma
The immigrant is a central figure in U.S. history, but that's not the case in Europe, where growing immigrant populations pose a challenge to powerful and enduring national mythologies. How does immigration complicate European national identity?
Cultural studies scholar Ranu Samantrai and historian Todd Shepard join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Samantrai is author of AlterNatives: Feminism in Post-Imperial England. Shepard is finishing a book entitled, The Invention of Decolonization: The End of French Algeria and the Remaking of France. |
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Odyssey—August 4, 2004 |
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Frankenstein
Michael Gordin—Assistant Professor of History, Princeton University
Maureen McLane—Lecturer in History and Literature, Harvard University
Mary Shelley's novel has served as a cautionary tale about any number of contemporary social ills. But Shelley was
responding to issues and ideas relevant to the 19th century. What does Frankenstein reveal about its own time?
Historian of science Michael Gordin and literary scholar Maureen McLane join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion.
McLane is author of Romanticism and the Human Sciences: Poetry, Population, and the Discourse of the Species. She's
also a visiting media scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Gordin is author of A Well-Ordered Thing:
Dmitrii Medeleev and the Shadow of the Periodic Table. |
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Odyssey—August 3, 2004 |
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Democracy, Class, and the British Aristocracy
Philippa Levine—Professor of History, University of Southern California
Steven Pincus—Associate Professor of History, University of Chicago
Great Britain is one of the world's preeminent democracies. But it's also home to an aristocracy, a group of people who wield political power solely by birthright. Why has the aristocracy persisted in Great Britain? Historians Philippa Levine and Steven Pincus join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Levine is author of Prostitution, Race, and Politics: Policing Venereal Disease. Pincus is completing a book manuscript entitled, The First Modern Revolution: England's Glorious Revolution of 1688-89. |
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Odyssey—August 2, 2004 |
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World War One and America
Christopher Capozzola—Assistant Professor of History, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Jennifer Keene—Chair and Associate Professor, Department of History, Chapman University
Both World War Two and the Vietnam War had a major impact on America. But the First World War divided Americans and gave rise to political organizations and ideas that continue to influence the U.S. What is the legacy of World War One? Historians Jennifer Keene and Christopher Capozzola join host Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Keene is author of Doughboys, the Great War, and the Remaking of America. Capozzola is working on a book entitled, Uncle Sam Wants You: Political Obligations in World War One America. |
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