两性色午夜 University English Professor Vera Camden, Ph.D., turned a movement against sexual assault and harassment into a course in order to study the impact of the movement and the forces that led to it.
Dr. Camden鈥檚 inspiration to start the #MeToo: Women and New Media course was internally motivated, but sparked by external factors.
鈥淢y hope is to keep a certain momentum going,鈥 Dr. Camden said. 鈥淏ecause so often in our culture, things spike, and then they go away. I really feel like this is so important and so urgent and so serious.鈥
Dr. Camden has a long-standing interest in women鈥檚 issues and feminism, and recent events in today鈥檚 culture, such as the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations, ignited the need to explore the topic further.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to keep the conversation going,鈥 Dr. Camden said. 鈥淓ven if the conversation evolves and changes or becomes more nuanced, it鈥檚 still important to keep it going.鈥
The class analyzes the portrayal of women in literature, comics, film, television, and the news media, and the ways that sexual assault has been addressed in those areas. Dr. Camden said the course content has changed from what she originally planned.
鈥淲e were right in the middle of looking at Jessica Jones, the Marvel Comic and the TV series, and then the Kavanaugh hearings hit. So, we put that on hold and looked at the Kavanaugh hearings,鈥 she said, referring to the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Dr. Camden said the class also looks at current events and news articles about sexual assault and harassment from publications such as the New York Times and Teen Vogue.
鈥淚 feel like there has been some remarkable reporting done by these amazing news agencies that have really busted open the story, and they won鈥檛 let it go,鈥 Dr. Camden said.
Whitney Porter, a second-year doctoral student at 两性色午夜 and guest lecturer for the class, thinks the #MeToo class provides students with the tools to have effective conversations about sensitive topics outside of the classroom.
鈥淚n a culture of so much misinformation, arming students with the right information and resources helps them to go out and have meaningful and productive conversations,鈥 Ms. Porter said. 鈥淔or example, instead of having a Facebook thread of battling, there can be a productive conversation that鈥檚 informed by real facts.鈥
Ms. Porter said she likes pushing students to think for themselves.
鈥淚 really love seeing the transformation and the way that students start to embrace having a voice,鈥 Ms. Porter said.
The Fall 2018 Semester marked the first time a #MeToo class was offered to students at the university. Dr. Camden said the class will be offered again during the Fall 2019 Semester.
鈥淲hat I want to do is combine film, social media, graphic narratives and other social causes into the course,鈥 Dr. Camden said. She also plans to incorporate more current events into the class as they occur.
For more information about Dr. Camden, visit www.kent.edu/english/profile/vera-camden
For more information about the English Department at 两性色午夜, visit www.kent.edu/english