Lisa Gilman (Associate Professor)
Statement
As a folklorist, I examine the intersections between creative expressions and social, political, and economic dynamics. I am especially interested in relationships between performance genres, usually dance and music, and issues of power related to gender, class, cultural identity, and politics.
· The musical listening practices of American troops fighting in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
· The politics of intangible cultural heritage in Malawi
I recently completed a film on contemporary G.I. resistance called Grounds for Resistance. Visit www.groundsforresistance.com for more information.
Forthcoming Music and the Ambivalence of War: American Troops Fighting in Operation Freedom. Post-Conflict Music: Global Rhythms of Resistance, eds. Colin Wright and Lucio Spaziante.
2010 An American Soldier’s Ipod: Layers of Identity and Situated Listening in Iraq. Music and Politics 4 (2).
2009 The Dance of Politics: Performance, Gender, and Democratization in Malawi. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
2009 “Complex Genres, Intertextuality, and the Analysis of Performance.” Journal of American Folklore 122 (485): 335-62.
2008 “Rape.” Encyclopedia of Women's Folklore and Folklife, eds. Elizabeth Locke and Theresa Vaughan. Greenwood Press.
2006 (with John Fenn) “Dance, Gender, and Popular Music in Malawi: The Case of Rap and Ragga.” Special issue of Popular Music 25(3): 369-81.
2006 Dances of Nkhata Bay. Multimedia project. Ethnomusicological Video for Instruction and Analysis Digital Archive Project [EVIADA].
2005 “Dance, Power, and the Creation of National Community in Malawian Politics.” Proceedings of the Congress on Research in Dance Spring 2005 Conference. Florida State University. Tallahasee, Florida.
2004 (with Clara Henderson) “Women as Religious and Political Praise Singers within African Institutions: The Case of the CCAP Blantyre Synod and Party Politics in Malawi.” Women and Music: A Journal of Gender and Culture 8: 22-40.
2004 “The Traditionalization of Women’s Dancing, Hegemony, and Politics in Malawi.” Journal of Folklore Research 41(1): 33-60.
2001 “Purchasing Praise: Women, Dancing, and Patronage in Malawi Party Politicking.” Africa Today 48(4): 43-64.
2000 “Cultural Change and the Case of Malipenga in Malawi.” In Mashindano! Competitive Music Performance in Tanzania and East Africa, eds. Frank Gunderson and Gregory Barz, pp. 321-45. Dar es Salaam: Mkuki na Nyota Publishers.
Courses I teach:
FLR 199: Voices of Africa
FLR 250: Intro to Folklore
FLR 370: Folklore and Sexuality
FLR 416/516: African Folklore
FLR 418/518: Folklore and Gender
FLR 484/584: American Folklore
FLR 607: Folklore Fieldwork
ENG 607: Theories of Performance Studies
ENG 607: Feminist Theory and the Study of Folklore
