Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2012, American Culture Studies/Popular Culture

The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze African-American participation in science fiction fan culture at science fiction conventions. My inquiry will include four main sections involving how and why African-Americans seem to be underrepresented at science fiction conventions in comparison to their proportion of the general population. These include a brief history of science fiction conventions, an exploration of the possible reasons for African- Americans who read science fiction literature or watch the television shows and movies would chose not to participate in science fiction conventions, some examples of positive portrayals of black characters in both science fiction literature and visual media, and the personal observations of my research subjects on their experiences regarding attending science fiction conventions. My research methodology included personal interviews with several African-American science fiction fans and authors, an interview with a white science fiction fan who is very familiar with the history of fan culture. I also draw upon scholarship in the science fiction studies, cultural anthropology and critical race theory.

Committee: Esther Clinton PhD (Committee Chair); Ellen Berry PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2006, American Culture Studies/Popular Culture

Searching for Wonder Women: Examining Women's Non-violent Power in Feminist Science Fiction, examines how works of Feminist Science Fiction (from various media, especially literature, film, and television) can be used as engaged, critical pedagogical tools for teaching a wide variety of feminist and critical race theories concerning issues of power / empowerment and subjectivity. In each chapter, I describe how I have used particular FSF works in the classroom and how each one fosters discussion on the particular topic / issue. In Chapter I, “Examining Power, Violence, Masculinity and ‘Tough Girls,'” I deconstruct commonly held definitions of power (especially those with links to violence, patriarchy and hegemony) and demonstrate how works of FSF can encourage students to think about cultural power in relationship to the dispersal of resources. Through an analysis of Charmed, this chapter also displays the complexities of examining the links between violence and power. Chapter II, “Telling Our Stories: Women's Voices in Feminist Science Fiction,” focuses on the power of language to construct alternate realities in opposition to non-inclusive, “dominant” cultural narratives, and also on storytelling as a means to literally “give voice” to marginalized groups. Chapter III, “‘The Women Men Don't See:' Women's Strategic Invisibility as Potential Empowerment,” analyzes stories of literal and metaphorical invisibility in order to discuss issues of women's subjectivity and voice, invisibility / hypervisibility through sexualization and objectification, and also “passing" as a member of the dominant race / gender / sexuality. Finally, my chapter “Ecofeminism as Anti-domination Activism” examines the “culture of domination” present in how cultural ideologies treat both women (and other marginalized groups) and the environment. Throughout my dissertation, I use personal narratives and references to students' discussion comments in order to demonstrate how, after studying vari (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Radhika Gajjala (Advisor) Subjects: Women's Studies

Master of Humanities (MHum), Wright State University, 2012, Humanities

An expanded notion of empowerment along with three specific theories-Beauvoir's concept of the Other, Speciesism, Cyborg Feminism-is used to analyze the female protagonists and antagonists in the following 1970's and 1980's science fiction and horror films: Fatal Attraction, Aliens, and The Stepford Wives. The female protagonists are allowed more access to power as human beings pitted against nonhuman antagonists, but these characters are ultimately not empowering for women because they reinforce rather than undermine the patriarchal structure. Implications for further research encourage a critique of female empowerment based on both gender and species.

Committee: Andrea Harris MA (Committee Co-Chair); Ava Chamberlain PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Kelli Zaytoun PhD (Committee Member); Marie Thompson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Film Studies; Gender; Gender Studies; Information Technology; Literature; Mass Communications; Womens Studies