John Cabot University Presents “Feminist Futures:” A Celebration of International Women’s Day
On March 8th, JCU academic departments and students’ clubs came together to celebrate International Women’s Day. Coordinated by the Department of Psychological and Social Sciences, Feminist Futures was a day-long event of academic talks and live performances honoring the achievements of women across different fields.
Prof. Barbara Magnanelli, from the Department of Business Administration, opened the event with a discussion of her recent work on female leadership, highlighting its effects on acquisitiveness strategies in both family and nonfamily firms.
A panel of humanities students then engaged the audience in a discussion of gender differences in academia and gender issues in the humanities and other disciplines. They considered the causes and effects of the relative lack of women in tenured philosophy positions, how courses and professors often treat gender as a marginal or “additional” topic, and the special difficulties faced by female students when engaging in class discussions. They also explored the meanings and importance of “intersectionality” in feminism and academia, and the role of social action and men in feminist campaigns in and beyond the university.
The Psychology Society discussed the role of several important women, such as Mamie Clark and Mary Ainsworth, in advancing our knowledge in different areas of psychological investigation, and the Women’s Leadership Initiative led a Trivia quiz focused on International Women’s Day to offer a break between the morning’s presentations.
The afternoon was dedicated to live and screened performances.
“This is me: Francesco/Cristina” showcased Francesco Pierri transforming into Cristina Prenestina, the famous Roman Drag Queen. The event was organized by Prof. Nefeli Misuraca, from the Department of English Language and Literature. Francesco Pierri mesmerized the audience, who witnessed all the steps to the transformation, while getting advice on applying makeup, preparing a wig, and the number of pantihose one should wear. Those attending the event also learned a lot about gender identity, social norms, and the joys and hardships of being a public employee by day and a Drag Queen by night.
From the Department of Psychological and Social Sciences, Prof. Jenn Lindsay introduced the screening of “Women in Progress” a web docuseries celebrating women’s creativity, passion, and initiative. Profs. Elisa Puvia and Carola Salvi, in collaboration with Prof. Catherine Biocca, from the Art and Design Department, presented the screening of “Performing the Female Body: An Exploration”, which documented the outcome of an experimental drawing and performative actions workshop where student artists explored the female body.
In closing, Prof. Tara Keenan, for the Department of Political Science and International Affairs, engaged the audience in a discussion about the day’s Irish Referendum to delete “women” from the Constitution.
Two exhibitions accompanied the audience throughout the day:
Women Writing Utopia, organized by the Department of English Language and Literature in collaboration with the Frohring Library. The exhibition showcased the literature written by women who imagined alternative social settings for themselves – or used the dystopian genre to denounce their actual conditions of existence.
The Feminist Strike, organized by the Department of Communication and Media Studies. This was a collective installation of signs created during a workshop where participants discussed scholarly feminist work and engaged in visual activism practices. The installation was created by students and professors to be displayed during the Feminist Futures event while they joined the “Non Una di Meno” protest in the streets of Rome.
