Maureen Mullinax

Visiting Instructor of Anthropology-Sociology

General Interests
"I am interested in the relationship between the arts and social change. From my Master's thesis on the political character of the Berlin Dadaists' critique of high art in the early 20th century, to my dissertation research on a community-based arts project, I have tried to understand how groups use arts practices to engage with social change. Working for over a decade as a cultural activist in Central Appalachia, I have connected with people in the process of creatively documenting the challenges they face through independent media production. Beyond my current research on the civic engagement role of community-based arts, I plan to comparatively examine social practices of cultural activist work internationally."

Years at Knox: 2008 to present

Education
Ph.D., candidate, University of Kentucky-Lexington.
M.A., 1990, University of Kentucky-Lexington.
B.S., 1984, University of Illinois-Urbana.

Teaching Interests
Cultural studies, community-based arts, visual sociology, social inequality, social movements, qualitative methods and community-based research

Recent Recognition
Awards
Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor. Department of Sociology. University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.

Recent Accomplishments
Presentations
"Taking Charge of Representation: The Role of Oral History in a Harlan County, Kentucky Community-based Arts Project." Annual Meeting of the Oral History Association. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2008.

"Tracing the Path to Higher Ground: Social Movement Influences on a Harlan County, Kentucky Community Arts Project," Annual meeting of the Southern Sociological Society. Richmond, Virginia, 2008.

"Art and Community Dialogue-Documenting The Harlan County PACT Project,"
Annual meeting of the Appalachian Studies Association. Huntington, West Virginia,
2008.

"Taking Stock: Using Oral Histories to Initiate Critical Community Dialogue." Sharing
Authority: Building Community-University Alliances through Oral History, Digital
Storytelling and Collaborations Conference. Montreal, Canada, 2008.

"Youthful Frames-Connecting Youth to their Communities Through Documentary
Production." Annual meeting of the Just Connections Association, Ferrum, Virginia, 2007.

Reaching for Higher Ground Through Community-Based Art: The Harlan County PACT
Project." With Robert Gipe and members of the Harlan County PACT Project. Annual
meeting of the Appalachian Studies Association. Maryville, Tennessee, 2007.

"On The Eve of the War on Poverty: A Conversation About Photography, Social concern,
and eastern Kentucky." Produced by Kate Black. With Andrew Stern, Richard Angelo, Gurney
Norman and Janie Welker. Lexington, Kentucky, 2007.

"Talking Story: Scholars and Community Activists from the Black Belt & Central
Appalachia Working for Social Change" and "The Black Belt Initiative: Understanding the
Dynamics of Disaster Before Katrina and Rita." With Rosalind Harris. Annual
meeting of the Rural Sociological Society. Louisville, Kentucky, 2006.

Campus & Community Involvement
Member, American Sociological Association.
Member, Oral History Association.
Member, Appalachian Studies Association.
Member, Southern Sociological Association.

Member, Just Connections.
Board member, Appalshop, Inc.

What Students Say
"Maureen is deeply committed to both her students' learning process and to the issues and concepts she presents in class. Through her grounded, honest, and genuine demeanor, she creates an environment where students eagerly engage in dynamic conversations. She is perceptive of her students' strengths, abilities, and limitations and is generous with her time. It is very rewarding to work with a professor who has challenged and expanded my intellect and who also has exposed me to ideas that will impact my experiences outside of the classroom."
-Michelle Geyer, Chemistry major and ANSO and Environmental Studies minor

Contact
309-341-7311
mmullina@knox.edu