UTSA professor to speak about depiction of women in sci-fi

-- This archived story was published in May 2006. --

Sue Hum
Sue Hum

UTSA professor to speak about depiction of women in sci-fi

(March 5, 2003)--Sue Hum, UTSA assistant professor of English, will speak on "The Female Body in Popular Science Fiction Films" at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 11 in the University Center Retama Room (2.02.02) at the UTSA 1604 Campus.

The lecture is part of UTSA's observance of Women's History Month.

Hum teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the theory and practice of teaching composition. Her research interests include rhetorical theory and pedagogy, communication theories, virtual learning communities, online chat environments, popular culture, race and gender, contrastive rhetoric and English as a second language.

The talk will include discussion of the goals of science fiction, the roles of women in science fiction films and how Hollywood presents the female body for male viewing in popular science fiction films, perpetuating a view of women as objects. Hum maintains that sci-fi films have consistently offered alternatives to the real world by capturing the imaginations of a mostly adolescent male audience.

According to Hum, the female body is defined and constructed for this audience in response to male fantasies and anxieties. The objectified female body typically represents a threat to the male protagonist who seeks to possess it.

Hum has written numerous essays for publications including the Journal of Advanced Composition and The Writing Instructor, and published book reviews and review essays in the Journal of Teaching Writing and The Council Chronicle, among others.

She was a teaching fellow (1991-1994) and university fellow (1990-1991) at Texas Christian University.

For more information, contact Sue Hum at (210) 458-5339.

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