Lisa Gilman (Assistant Professor)
Statement
As a folklorist, I examine expressive forms as windows through which to gain insight into social issues. 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.
Research
Since 1995, I have been researching women's dancing within Malawi's political to explore relationships between performance and power in addition to gaining insight into women's roles within Malawian politics.
My current research is into the musical practices of men and women serving in the U.S. armed forces who have been deployed to the war in Iraq.
Previously, I examined relationships between narratives and silencing of experiences of sexual violence.
Teaching
Courses I teach:
- ENG 250: Intro to Folklore
- FLR 399: Folklore and Sexuality
- FLR 399: African Folklore (soon to be available as a 400/500 course and available to graduate students)
- FLR 410/510: Folklore and Gender
- FLR 484/584: American Folklore
- FLR 607: Folklore Fieldwork
Publications
Some recent articles I have published include:
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.
2005 “Dance, Power, and the Creation of National Community in Malawian Politics.” Congress on Research in Dance Spring 2005 Conference. Florida State University. Tallahasee, Florida. Dance & Community.
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.
I am in the process of completing a book manuscript on women's dancing within Malawi's political sphere, The Dance of Politics: Performance, Gender, and Democratization in Malawi.
