Dear Workshop,
On Thursday, March 31, David Lyons, Ph.D. Candidate in the Divinity School will present a paper entitled:
“Never-Ending? Superman, Social Myth, and the Crisis of Fordism”
Time: 12:00, Thursday, March 31, 2011
Place: Swift Hall, Room 400
Food: Snacks provided, feel free to bring your lunch!
Paper: Email changp@uchicago.edu for copies of this paper.
A short excerpt from David’s paper follows:
Superman, once a reinforcing and validating myth of American social life, may now face a future of subsisting on the nostalgic inertia of a popular culture that no longer embraces the values with which the character is identified. Any emergence by the character from its doldrums, it seems to me, will depend on either of two sets of circumstances. First, the United States and the rest of the world might see a revived commitment to Fordist values, and the creators of Superman narratives could then seek to capitalize on that recrudescence. Absent that, the best chance Superman has to regain something like the cultural and economic purchase he once had will most likely result only from a concerted effort to clear away the character’s calcified association with Fordist values and recast him in post-Fordist terms.
I hope to see you all there!
— Paul
Persons with a disability who believe they may need assistance, please contact Paul Chang in advance at changp@uchicago.edu.