MOSAIC PROGRAM 2012

OPENING KEYNOTE

The Fluidity of My Journey with Gender and Privilege

Opening Keynote Address - T.J. Jourian, Vanderbilt University

Finding the Connection between the Head, the Heart, and the Body

Presenter:  Meg Evans, CMU coordinator of LGBTQ programs

This interactive workshop will focus on the intersection between gender and sexual orientation.  Using examples from popular media, we hope to gain an understanding of gender non-conformity and gender fluidity while interweaving issues sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. We will dissect the meaning of "transgender" and explore a number of different relationships through our current understanding of gendered relationship roles.

Combating Street Harassment and Gender Violence Using Social Media and Mobile Technology

Presenter:  Jessica Dickinson Goodman, CMU student/activist

From downtown Pittsburgh to downtown Cairo, women and LGBTQ souls are targeted for public sexual harassment. Many women are raised to believe that the kind of comments and behaviors which would be illegal inside the workplace or the home are part of the price of being a woman. Using apps like iHollaBack and websites like HarassMap, we can combat this public form of gender violence.  In this session, we will hear from working activists inside and outside the United States who are combating harassment in their neighborhoods. We will discuss restarting HollaBackPGH and how student activists can work to fight street harassment in their own lives and communities. This session will be enraging, interesting, and empowering.

From Mad Men to Funny People: New Archetype, Same Old Issues of White Masculinity

Presenter:  Lucas Christain, CMU, Associate Director of Student Life

In this session we will utilize two modern pop culture icons to discuss historical challenges in socially constructed masculine identities. Don Draper from AMC's Mad Men and Seth Rogan's characters from The Forty Year Old Virgin, Pine Apple Express, and Funny People are used to highlight how the images of white masculinity have changed in the last 50-60 years. We'll then discuss the ways in which some modern movements are working to deconstruct the often negative and harmful definitions and stereotypes of masculinity.

LUNCH

Join us in Rangos for lunch and activities.

Social Privilege and Stereotype Threat:  Group Membership Really Does Matter

Presenter:  Chante Cox Boyd, Associate Teaching Professor, CMU

The social groups to which one belongs play an important role in determining one's outcomes in a given society.  The opportunities available to an individual as well as the manner in which the person is treated are often determined by society's views of the person's social group.  This talk will address the impact of social grouping and highlight the privileges bestowed upon those who are members of the dominate group.  Also discussed will be the impact of negative stereotypes of those who happen to belong to less favorable group and how these stereotypes impede the progress of group members.    

Thank God, for Gender

Presenter:  Jeannine Heynes, CMU Coordinator of Gender Programs

In this session we will explore how the gendering of God can impact our sense of self.  In most major religions God is understood to be male, or is, at least, consistently referred to as "He".  What kind of impact has the masculinization of God had on gender roles within America, and why do so many people struggle with the idea of God as "She"?  Come explore how your concepts of God can influence your perceptions of gender. 

Exploring Gender Roles Identities through Dance Movement Therapy

Closing Keynote Address, Angela Tatum Fairfax, CEO Good Fruit Expressive Arts

 "Who am I?" This simple question with a complex answer has been the topic of discussion, debate, and confusion for millions of people throughout the years. While sex refers to our biological assignment of male or female, gender has something to do with self-identity, social behavior, and personal characteristics. Howard and Hollander (2000) wrote, "Children learn at a very young age to adopt gender as a basic organizing principle for themselves and social worlds they are learning about" (p.13).  However, race, age, class, culture, and sexual orientation also play a role in a person's concept of gender. The manner in which we move, posture, and express ourselves to others provides an indication of how we choose to express gender. This workshop will specifically address gender movement qualities, preferences and expression from a dance/movement therapy perspective.