A Gendered World – 2007-2008 Annual Theme

Gender is a central organizing principle of social life that informs everything from the taken for granted clothing we wear, our interactions with others, and our subjective understandings of who we are, to the kinds of work and social tasks we perform as we move through the gendered spaces of everyday life. Gender roles and meanings are different in every cultural context, but always inform patterns of social, political and economic inequality that are embedded in government, military, health, familial and educational institutions, legal systems, and the media. Women all over the world suffer disproportionately from violence, make less money than men, and have less access to power. Yet men all over the world die at younger ages than women, suffer from more heart attacks and serious mental illnesses, and are incarcerated at higher rates. This year’s Clarke Forum theme examines some of the ways that women and men live their lives as they are defined and define themselves in different political, economic, and cultural contexts.

Peterson Toscano

Toscano PosterTheatrical Performance Artist

Everything is Connected

Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium, 7 p.m.

Connecting contemporary issues to his own bizarre personal experiences, literature, science, and even the odd Bible story, Peterson Toscano takes his audience on an off-beat mental mind trip. A shapeshifter, he transforms right before your eyes into a whole cast of comic characters who explore the serious worlds of gender, sexuality, privilege, religion, and environmental justice.

This event is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues and co-sponsored by the Center for Sustainability Education, the Office of LGBTQ Services, the Center for Service, Spirituality and Social Justice, the Women’s and Gender Resource Center, the Department of Religion, the Department of Theatre & Dance, and the Churchill Fund. It is also part of the Clarke Forum’s Leadership in an Age of Uncertainty Series.

Biography (provided by the speaker)

Toscano photoDrawing on comedy, storytelling, and history, Peterson Toscano creates original content for the stage and the Internet that inspires curiosity about climate change. Peterson’s unique personal journey led him into performance art. After spending 17 years and over $30,000 on three continents attempting to de-gay himself through gay conversion therapy, he came to his senses Read more

David Paternotte

Paternotte Poster PDFLecturer in Sociology at the Université libre de Bruxelles

From the Vatican to Madrid, Paris and Warsaw: “Gender Ideology” in Motion

Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Stern Center, Great Room, 7 p.m.

After decades of steady progress in terms of gender and sexual rights, several parts of Europe are facing new waves of resistance. These oppose the so-called ‘gender ideology,’ and unveil a crucial role of the Roman Catholic Church. This talk will give an overview of anti-gender movements in Europe.

The program is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues and co-sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Resource Center and the Departments of Sociology and Italian Studies.

David PaternotteBiography (provided by the speaker)

David Paternotte is a lecturer in sociology at the Université libre de Bruxelles. After many years of research on same-sex marriage, his work concentrates the processes of Europeanisation, globalisation and NGOisation of LGBTQI activism. He has recently started a project on new forms of opposition to gender, feminist claims and LGBTQI rights, with a focus on the Catholic Church. In addition to articles in journals like the Canadian Journal of political science, social politics, sexualities, or social movement studies, he is the author of Revendiquer le “mariage Read more

Laura Suchoski

Suchoski Poster FinalSocial Media Manager, McKinney

Sports, Social Media & the Empowerment of Women

Monday, March 24, 2014
Stern Center, Great Room, 7 p.m.

The ever-growing landscape of social media is changing how we, as fans and athletes, consume sports.  Laura Suchoski, a former social media manager at ESPN, will be exploring social innovations in sports media and how businesses are using them to engage diverse audiences with a focus on women.

This event is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues and co-sponsored by the Department of Athletics.

Biography (provided by the speaker)

lsuchoski kLaura Suchoski is a social media and creative marketing professional, currently social media manager at the advertising agency McKinney in North Carolina.  Prior to joining McKinney in 2014, Laura managed social media for four years at ESPN and espnW, the company’s business dedicated to female fans and athletes.  Growing up with three competitive siblings and parents who drove her to far-away clinics and tournaments, Laura developed a passion for sports and being a part of a team.  She became the first four-time field hockey All-American at Duke University, a two-time captain, All-Academic honoree, and Athlete of the Decade.  Laura competed with the U.S. Field Hockey National Read more

Carlos Ball

Carlos Ball posterProfessor of Law, Rutgers School of Law

Same-Sex Marriage and the Future of Civil Rights

Thursday, April 28, 2011
Stern Center, Great Room, 7:00 p.m.

A book signing will follow.

As a result of the efforts of the marriage equality movement, the country for the last two decades has been debating the purposes of marriage and the place of LGBT people in our society. Those who are against gay marriage have relied on historical, moral, and institutional arguments about why marriage must remain the union of one man and one woman. In contrast, those who favor the recognition of same-sex marriage have relied on considerations of fairness, justice, and equality to argue, in effect, that there should be no gender-based barriers to marriage. This debate requires all of us to choose among these irreconcilable positions. The fact that a growing number of Americans, especially young ones, favor a more expansive definition of marriage bodes well for those committed to protecting the basic civil rights of sexual minorities.

The event is co-sponsored by the Women’s Center and the Office of Institutional and Diversity Initiatives.

Biography (provided by the speaker)CBall Photo
Carlos A. Ball is a professor of law at Rutgers University (Newark). Read more

Jennifer Brier

Brier Poster for Web

Associate Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies/History, University of Illinois-Chicago

Censoring Infectious Ideas: Queer Sexuality and the AIDS Crisis

Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Stern Center, Great Room – 7:00 p.m.

Beginning with her own experiences as an author whose work has been censored, Brier will discuss how the response to AIDS has been affected by attempts to remove discussions of sex and sexuality from its center and question the extent to which we have become a more sexually liberated culture since the 1980s.

This event is co-sponsored by the Departments of Sociology, American Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies.

Background Information (provided by speaker)
In the last stages of preparing her book for publication, including securing the permissions to publish several reproductions of early AIDS prevention posters from San Francisco, Brier’s press informed her that she would not be able to include any images that displayed full-frontal male nudity. Told that the images were not central to her argument and that they would be distracting, Brier had no choice but to exchange the images for less-explicit ones, a decision that uncannily mirrored what happened when the San Francisco AIDS Foundation first created and tried to distribute the posters using federal Read more

Women, Equality and Education

assad poster  webMonday, March 8, 2010
Stern Center, Great Room, 7:00 p.m.

A panel of international students from Dickinson College will join Muska Assad, a recipient of a scholarship from the Initiative to Educate Afghan Women (IEAW), in a discussion of women, gender equality and education. This event is in observance of International Women’s Day which was created to commemorate the accomplishments of women and celebrate the fight for women’s equality.

This event is co-sponsored by the Women’s Center and Betty R. ’58 and Dan Churchill.

Topical Background
International Women’s Day (IWD) was first celebrated by the Socialist Party of America in 1909. Two years later, it was officially honored in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. For the next several decades, women across the globe rallied together each March to demand voting rights, better pay, and equality. Although it was initiated by a socialist movement, International Women’s Day slowly developed into a world-wide celebration of women, serving as a forum to recognize the continued struggle for parity. In 1977, the United Nations officially designated March 8 International Women’s Day. Today more than 15 countries have made March 8th a national holiday. This year, the United Nation’s theme for IWD is “Equal Read more

Mark Alexander Program Photos

Obama Advisor Mark Alexander visits Dickinson March 27, 2008

Mark Alexander, Senior Advisor to Senator Barack Obama, visited Dickinson College on Thursday to rally voters for the upcoming Pennsylvania primary election. Alexander’s visit, sponsored by the Dickinson College Student Democrats with the logistical support of The Clarke Forum, overflowed the Stern Center Great Room and kicked off an exciting day of politics that also included a visit from William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States.

Students hand out Obama literature in the Stern Center.

Students hand out Obama literature in the Stern Center.

James Liska '09, president of the Dickinson College Democrats, introduces Mr. Alexander.

James Liska ’09, president of the Dickinson College Democrats, introduces Alexander.

The crowd in the Stern Center overflows the building.

The crowd in the Stern Center overflows the building.

Audience members listen to Mr. Alexander.

Senior Advisor to Senator Barak Obama, Mark Alexander.

Senior Advisor to Senator Barack Obama, Mark Alexander.

Mark Alexander.

Audience members listen to Mr. Alexander.

Audience members listen to Alexander.

Photos by A. Pierce Bounds ’71
Video by Chad Everts Read more

Diana Putman

U.S. Army War College; Director, Office of Economic Opportunities with U.S. Aid for International Development

Engendering Development: Experience from the Field

Friday, March 28, 2008 – Lunch Discussion
The Clarke Forum – Reservations required

Contact clarke@dickinson.edu

Development practitioners have explored a range of approaches to ensure that both women and men benefit from development projects. This talk will describe approaches in Africa and the Middle East that have enabled women to progress economically and consequently gain more social and political power. It also cautions against assuming that power is only in the public domain and will discuss similarities between Moslem and Japanese cultures where female power is less overt but nonetheless influential in society. Read more

Somdatta Mondal

Scholar-in-residence with Community Studies

Walking in a Sari and Combat Boots: Texts and Contexts of South Asian Diasporic Cinema

Tuesday, March 4, 2008 – Lunch Discussion
The Clarke Forum – Reservations Required

Email clarke@dickinson.edu

Discussion and clips of feature films and documentaries that illuminate the processes by which the South Asian community strives to forge an identity for itself in three Western countries (United States, Britain and Canada). Most independent filmmakers focus upon their South Asian tradition and how it collides with Western individuality. How do these films challenge and transcend homogenized mainstream media representations, and recognize heterogeneous differences within the South Asian diaspora? Read more

Vanessa Tyson

Consortium for Faculty Diversity Fellow

Power and Influence in the House: Progressive Coalitions, Interracial Alliances and Marginal Group Politics

Monday, February 25, 2008 – Lunch Discussion
The Clarke Forum – Reservations Required
Email clarke@dickinson.edu

Discussion on the internal dynamics of the House of Representatives and the ability of members from the representing marginal groups, particularly racial minorities, to navigate the legislative process. Read more

Kimberly Dozier

CBS News Correspondent injured in Iraq and author
Kimberly Dozier Poster

Breathing the Fire: Fighting to Report – and Survive – the War in Iraq

Monday, April 21, 2008
7:00 p.m.- Stern Center, Great Room

Terrorism has made news reporting very dangerous. Reporters have become the targets of terrorist acts, where they once only stood next to targets. Being embedded has also made the role of correspondent more complex, raising such questions as which ‘side’ we’re on, whether we are legitimate targets when shadowing the military or insurgents, and the ethics of going on a raid to kill insurgents. Also, the ‘cable effect’ has made it more difficult to report a straight story because so many people now expect some sort of opinion, and cable television representatives openly criticize correspondents for anything they report.

Sponsored by Betty R.’58, and Dan Churchill and Penn State Dickinson School of Law

Issue in Context
From World War II to the Vietnam War and the first Persian Gulf War, reporters have been responsible for providing a connection between the battlefield and the American public. This connection was mediated by various means of communication from the telegraph, to the television and, finally, computers. The technological boom has facilitated Read more

The New Mediterranean Symposium

Thursday, April 3, 2008New Mediterranean Poster
Various Locations

Student Comments

Denisa Lazarescu ’08

Tahar Lamri
The Pilgrimage of the Voice
Award winning author and noted artist Tahar Lamri presented within the second part of the symposium the short story titled “The Pilgrimage of the Voice” which was interpreted in four different languages: standard Italian, as well as Mantovano, Romagnolo, and Venetian dialects. Sitting on the floor, surrounded by students and professors, Tahar Lamri read his story while accompanied by Cafe Mira lead singer, Reda Zine who played the gnawa, a Moroccan musical instrument resembling a lute. Trying to recreate the atmosphere of storytelling around a camp fire, Tahar Lamri and Reda’s spiritual music complemented and emphasized the story of the “The Pilgrimage of the Voice” which delves into the topic of languages and cultures blending and influencing one another across borders. The diverse musical and linguistic experience was meant to underscore the message that communication through storytelling, as the basis of many cultures, is the means to attaining tolerance and understanding among people across the world. As the story of Scheherazade and the “One Thousand and One Nights”, storytelling preserves life, forges bonds among people, ensures cultural progress, and, most importantly, fosters Read more

President Bill Clinton Campaigning for Hillary Clinton

Thursday, March 27, 2008 – 3:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.mClinton Poster
The Kline Athletic Center

Student Comments

Caitlin Rice

Former President Clinton did an excellent job of detailing what makes Hillary Clinton’s plans for America distinctive. On the event in general, I thought it was great to see so many people there and so excited–regardless of whether they were Democrat or Republican. Having former President Clinton speak on behalf of Hillary was an excellent opportunity as I feel it drew an open minded crowd.

Through this experience and leading the Dickinson Student for Hillary Group on campus, I have learned a great deal, not only about the logistics and politics of a campaign, but about how to communicate more effectively on many levels with peers and professionals. Some of Hillary’s young campaign workers have described being a “Clintonian” on a campus as if describing being a “punk rocker”! Senator Obama’s popularity permeates most college-aged youth, and I have been discovering better ways to engage the opposition in productive conversation about the seemingly slight differences between Obama and Clinton’s policies and the strengths and weaknesses of each.

For me, President Clinton’s visit was the opportunity of a lifetime to introduce the man Read more

Mark Alexander, Senior Advisor for Senator Barack Obama

Thursday, March 27, 2008 – 1:00 p.m.
Obama Poster

Stern Center, Great Room

Photos from the Program

Student Comments

Jonathan Roberts

Benjamin Rush and his colleagues understood that American democracy would only survive if its citizens were informed. By bringing representatives of the major candidates to campus, and allowing us to hear their arguments, we can make better-informed decisions about what is politically important to us. I think most Dickinsonians read the news and stay on top of what candidates are doing, but it’s rare that we have the chance to hear it straight from them. That’s unique, and an extraordinary opportunity, and I’m grateful to the College for organizing events like these.

James Liska

I felt that the visits from the Obama and Clinton campaigns demonstrated a high level of interest in this election, but in different ways relating to the different events. For example, President Clinton drew many townspeople and community members, but not predominantly students. The Mark Alexander event, however, featured primarily students. Some students I spoke with looked forward more to the Alexander event than the Clinton event. This gives us interesting insight into what drives the students and what interests students. Regardless, I feel that both events Read more

Cynthia Enloe

2007 Susan Strange Award Winner in International Studies, Clark University, Worcester, MACynthia Enloe poster

Morgan Lecture
Women and Men in the Iraq War: What Can a Feminist Curiosity Reveal?

Monday, March 24, 2008
7:00 p.m. – Stern Center, Great Room

We are all inundated with news about the Iraq war, but too often the only women shown are mothers and wives weeping – without ever asking them what they think or what they now will do. By asking feminist questions about BOTH American and Iraqi women, about their own thoughts and their complex experiences, we are more likely to get a truly realistic understanding of men’s actions and of the causes and consequences of this war.

Issue in Context
Over the past two decades, feminist critics and practitioners have become an essential part of the discipline of international relations (IR). Feminist IR emerged in the late 1980s. The end of the Cold War brought about a re-evaluation of traditional IR theory which opened up a space for gendering international relations. Cynthia Enloe’s Bananas, Beaches and Bases (Pandora Press 1990) is one of the most influential publications in feminist IR. In this book, Enloe poses a simple question: What happens to our understanding Read more

Transnational Gender and Sexuality Symposium

Thursday, February 14, 2008Transnational Poster
Various Times
Stern Center, Great Room

This one-day symposium offers perspectives from three scholars critically exploring sexuality and gender identities in relation to shifting cultural and national boundaries.

10:30 a.m. – Denise Brennan, Georgetown University
Love Work and Sex Work in the Dominican Republic
Suggested Readings:
1. Nicole Constable’s book: Romance on A Global Stage
2. Barbara Ehrenreich and Arlie Hochschild’s edited volume: Global Woman: Nannies, Maids and Sex Workers in the New Economy
3. Carla Freeman’s book: High Tech and High Heels in the Global Economy
4. Faye Ginsburg and Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing’s edited volume: Uncertain Terms: Negotiating Gender in American Culture
5. What’s Love Got to Do with It? Transnational Desires and Sex, by Denise Brennan
1:00 p.m. – France Winddance Twine, University of California, Santa Barbara

Written on the Body: Hair and Heritage in Black Europe

2:30 p.m. – Karen Kelsky, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

The Personal is Personal: Predicaments of the Lesbian Feminist Subject in Japan.

4:30 p.m. – Panel Discussion

The panel will explore such questions as: How does transnationalism affect cultural reproduction in intimate areas, such as family relations (husband-wife, parent-child), inter-generational ethnic relations, and the sphere defined as

Read more

Cindi Katz

City University of New York, Graduate CenterKatz Poster

Writing on the Wall: From Disaster to Doing Something

Thursday, February 7, 2008
7:00 p.m. – Holland Union Building, Social Hall

Hurricane Katrina scoured the political economic landscape of New Orleans revealing the toll of decades of disinvestment in and ‘hostile privatism’ toward social reproduction in a city riddled with corrosive inequalities around class, race, and gender. Business and government have failed to address the social and economic needs of poor and working people in New Orleans in the wake of Katrina. The toll can be seen in the unevenness of neighborhood and infrastructural recovery, the difficulty of establishing a stable workforce of residents, and the deepening of ongoing neoliberal tendencies toward privatization in education, healthcare, and housing. Focusing on these issues, we will look at the sorts of activism these failures have spurred. The discussion will center on community based political groups working to redress this situation in New Orleans, but will also connect their work to groups working elsewhere to draw out a ‘countertopography’ of activisms that interrogate the underlying politics and policies–explicit and implicit–that have undermind the social wage and produced this situation not just in New Orleans but all Read more

Haya Bar-Itzhak

Fulbright Scholar, School of Humanities Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg.

Eve and Lilith: Men and Women Telling the Myth of the Creation of Woman

Friday, November 16, 2007
The Clarke Forum, 12:00 p.m.

This program is open to Dickinson faculty, staff and students by reservation only. Space is limited – email flinchbk@dickinson.edu to reserve a seat. Lunch provided.

Prof. Bar-Itzhak will discuss the Lilith myth as crystallized in Jewish tradition. She will show how this myth reinforced the sacred patriarchal order of the society by creating Lilith as the worst enemy of “good” women.
The Lilith stories from ancient Jewish sources were all written by men. She will also present the story as told by women from Jewish traditional society, for whom Lility is still a living myth.

Co-sponsored by Judaic Studies. Read more