[ecrea] Teaching Media CFP: Sexuality in Hip Hop Culture

“Sexuality in Hip Hop Culture” Teaching Media 1(3): 2013

Teaching Media is dedicated to promoting a collaborative exchange and 
dialogue between media studies scholars about contemporary approaches to 
teaching and critically engaging with multi-modal media.

Call for Proposals:

For most media-centered courses, representations of race, gender, and 
sexuality are key sites of investigation. One way to engage students in 
these discussions is to draw upon their own investment in hip hop 
culture.  This particular moment is ripe with possibilities for 
exploring the complex representations of raced and gendered sexualities 
in hip hop. More than ever, hip hop artists are transgressing the 
boundaries of heteronormative sexuality. From Frank Ocean’s coming out 
narrative and Nikki Minaj’s lyrical claims to bisexuality to New Orleans 
Sissy Bounce and New York Vogue, mainstream and counterculture artists 
alike are queering hip hop sexuality. At the same time, hypersexuality 
and the objectification of women remain salient in hip hop culture, 
reinforcing heteronormative gender roles. How might we encourage 
students to think about the assumptions and contradictions in hip hop 
culture? In this issue, we seek proposals that investigate the myriad 
intersection of sexuality, gender, and hip hop.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

-How might we begin discussions about non-normative forms of sexuality 
in hip hop?
-What messages about sexuality are embedded or implied in hip hop?
-How are LGBTQ artists received in hip hop? How are they represented?
-What is the relationship between hip hop and queer culture? How do 
artists “queer” hip hop identity?
-How and when might mainstream artists “queer” or subvert dominant 
culture and aesthetics?
- What spaces are opened up when we read hip hop representations through 
the lenses of parody, satire and performance?
-How might we balance critique and appreciation when discussing hip hop?
-How and where do people talk about sexuality and hip hop? What spaces 
and conversations are most productive?

Teaching Media seeks 250-word summaries of teaching materials and models 
from a variety of pedagogical perspectives. The summary should include 
your general framework, a list of teaching materials and/or assignments 
in the unit, and a short explanation of why your approach is innovative. 
Please email all submissions, either as a word or PDF document, to* 
(teachingmedia.contact /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(teachingmedia.contact /at/ gmail.com)>*. The Teaching Media editorial 
board will choose three summaries and ask the submitters to expand upon 
their abstract as part of a curated space on our site. Those not chosen 
are encouraged to submit their materials to our common space.


SUBMISSION DEADLINE: February 18, 2013


As we hope for continuing discussions and exchange as well as 
contributions to Teaching Media we encourage you to visit our website at 
http://www.teachingmedia.org/

Best,

Teaching Media editorial board

Jacquelyn Arcy
Mia Fischer
Melody Hoffmann
Kate Ranachan