Investigating Shrek Power, Identity, and Ideology

by Nieguth, Tim; Lacassagne, Aurélie; Dépelteau, François

• ISBN13: 9780230114159
• ISBN10: 0230114156
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-08-15
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

An exploration of the social significance ofShrekfrom a variety of theoretical perspectives, this book pursues two different, yet intertwined objectives. The first is to presentShrekas pedagogical tool that could be usefully employed in a number of different disciplines.Shrekis approached from a political science angle, a sociological perspective, and applied to the tenets of evolutionary psychology. The second objective is concerned with outlining some of the ways in whichShrekis actively bound up with various aspects of social reality--such as capitalism, power relations, inequality, rule and resistance. This book analyzes the green ogre and his companions in a way that is entertaining as well as informative.

Author Biography

Aurelie Lacassagne is an associate professor of Political Science at Laurentian University. Her research centers mainly on immigration and popular culture studies. Her publications include articles in the Canadian Political Science Review and the journal of Marketing and Communication, as well as a co-edited book entitled Belarus, l'etat de l'exception. She is a collaborator on a major research initiative on the inclusion of visible minorities and immigrants in Ontario's cities. Tim Nieguth is an associate professor of Political Science at Laurentian University. His research centers on nationalism, secession, and the politics of popular culture. His publications include articles in the Canadian journal of Political Science, Space and Polity, and Nations and Nationalism. Francois Depelteau is an assistant professor of Sociology at Laurentian University. His research interests focus on social movements, the environment, and social theories. His publications include articles in Sociological Theory and contributions to several edited volumes. He is the author of a widely used textbook on social science methods, La Demarche d'una recherche en sciences humaines.

Table of Contents

Through the looking glass: Shrek in perspective--Aurélie Lacassagne, Tim Nieguth, and François Dépelteau * Shrek in the classroom * Representing political regimes in the Shrek trilogy-- Aurélie Lacassagne * Big (and green) is better: Shrek and female body image--Mary Ryan * Green consciousness: Earth-based myth and meaning in Shrek--Jane Caputi * “Happiness is just a teardrop away”: A Neo-Marxist interpretation of Shrek--Alexander Spencer, Judith Renner, and Andreas Kruck * Shrek in context * The mouse is dead, long live the ogre: Shrek and the boundaries of transgression--Daniel Downes and June Madeley * Kantian cosmopolitanism and the DreamWorkification of the next generation--Marianne Vardalos * An evolutionary psychological perspective on Shrek and Fiona--Gayle Brewer * Shrek as a non-human transactor and social movements--François Dépelteau * Potholes of knowledge: The politics of studying Shrek--Tim Nieguth * Filmography