Julie Ann Wilson

Biography

I am an Associate Professor of Communication Arts and Community and Justice Studies at Allegheny College. My research and teaching are focused on unpacking the dominant forms of power and oppression that shape everyday lives and senses of possibility. Specifically, in my writing and time with students, I strive to confront neoliberal culture in all of its complexity. I want to make visible the myriad forces acting on our identities, relationships, and social worlds, so that we can imagine and build new structures for living in common.

In addition to Neoliberalism, I am the author, with Emily Chivers Yochim, of Mothering through Precarity: Women's Work and Digital Media which explores how mothers in the post-industrial Rust Belt navigate neoliberal precarity through everyday engagements with digital media. My previous research centered on contemporary celebrity culture and politics and has appeared in several journals including Cinema Journal, Celebrity Studies, and Television and New Media. I have also published articles, co-authored with Emily Chivers Yochim and Laurie Ouellette, on women’s work and digital culture in Cultural Studies.

Education

B.A. Macalester College
M.A. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Ph.D. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Areas of Research / Professional Expertise

neoliberalism, digital culture, feminist media studies, celebrity studies, community organizing

Personal Interests

Prior to attending graduate school at the University of Minnesota, I was a neighborhood organizer and small business owner, running a fiercely independent, community-oriented video store, in St. Paul, MN. Since joining the faculty at Allegheny College in 2010, I have been involved in a number of local initiatives and am currently the president of Common Roots, a community-based organization that is working to create cooperative affordable housing.

Websites

• personal website

Books