Christina Scharff | King's College London (original) (raw)

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Papers by Christina Scharff

Book Reviews / Comptes rendus / 543 concerne l'analyse du sens de l'expérience musicale, ce deuxi... more Book Reviews / Comptes rendus / 543 concerne l'analyse du sens de l'expérience musicale, ce deuxième volume a le mérite de témoigner de la variété des nouvelles perspectives dans l'étude du fait musical. En attendant la publication du troisième volume, souhaitons que la direction porte une plus grande attention à la qualité de l'expression écrite dans ses textes de présentation (préface, introductions et épilogue) si ceux-ci sont également rédigés en français.

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2011

p. 133) argues that feminism has been expelled to an 'abject state'. It seems that new femininiti... more p. 133) argues that feminism has been expelled to an 'abject state'. It seems that new femininities can do without feminism in the postfeminist era where feminism is taken into account, and simultaneously repudiated (Gill, 2007; McRobbie, 2004, 2009). Against this context, it is notable that since 2006 the emergence of "new" feminisms has been proclaimed in Germany, triggered by a public debate on demographic changes. While there was an active women's movement in West Germany in the 1970s and 1980s (Lenz, 2001) and in East Germany in the 1980s (Miethe , 2002) i , subsequent years were constituted by a quieter period for feminist activism (Gerhard, 1999). However, this has changed. 'Without any doubt', argue Hark and Kerner (2007) ii , 'the embarrassment is over and also in this country feminism has come back onto the discursive stage'. By analysing various texts that call for a revised feminist politics, and situating them into wider media and academic debates, this chapter highlights some characteristic features of the new feminisms. I will explore the emancipatory potential of this political "movement" and demonstrate that it negotiates cultural divisions and phenomena that reach beyond the new feminisms and Germany. My focus will be on difference (particularly in relation to race, class, and sexuality), processes of individualisation (Bauman, 2000), and the portrayal of 1970s feminism. While the new feminisms challenge contemporary socio-cultural trends that facilitate the widespread rejection of feminism, I will argue that their main themes exhibit problematic tendencies. The new feminists, for example, distance themselves from 1970s feminism, mainly because they associate it with manhating and lesbianism. The homophobic rejection of the 1970s raises questions about the new feminisms' critical and emancipatory potential. It seems that the new feminisms do not sufficiently

European Journal of Women's Studies, May 1, 2011

If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version for pagination... more If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version for pagination, volume/issue, and date of publication details. And where the final published version is provided on the Research Portal, if citing you are again advised to check the publisher's website for any subsequent corrections.

European Journal of Cultural Studies, Aug 5, 2023

This article explores the politics of ‘freelance feminism’ by drawing on 30 qualitative in-depth ... more This article explores the politics of ‘freelance feminism’ by drawing on 30 qualitative in-depth interviews with digital feminist activists. By documenting and analysing the different ways in which digital feminist activism can be monetised, the article shows that the potential to generate income is frequently discussed by, and contemplated among, activists. As this article argues, the monetisation of digital feminist activism goes beyond the application of market principles to political protest movements. When activism is monetised, activists’ emotional investments and passion become mobilised and tied to income generation. At the same time, and through emphases on self-branding and ‘authenticity’, activists’ selves are formed and rearranged in line with neoliberal values of entrepreneurialism and market competition. This article therefore shows that the workings of neoliberalism in digital feminist activism play out on an economic level, and also on the levels of affect and subjectivity.

Feminist Media Studies, Jun 12, 2013

Routledge eBooks, May 22, 2022

European Journal of Cultural Studies, Apr 28, 2021

In music studies, genre theory has primarily been used to study popular music rather than classic... more In music studies, genre theory has primarily been used to study popular music rather than classical music. This article demonstrates how genre theory can be applied to studying classical music production in order to understand how its value is negotiated and reproduced. Drawing on data from interviews with early-career female classical musicians in London, it explores discourses of classical music as a genre in order to understand how genre shapes working lives. We identify three themes within the data: first, genre hierarchies contribute to the (re-)production of divisions of labour, in ways that reaffirm gendered hierarchies. Second, many research participants actively portrayed themselves as being interested in different musical genres, both as listeners and as performers, but identified other classical musicians as having pejorative attitudes towards non-classical genres or practices such as playing in a band. Third, genre hierarchies were (re-)produced in institutional settings, in musicians' working practices and in social interactions. Overall, analysing classical music as a genre through examining the perspectives of freelance musicians shows that subgenres within classical music, as well as classical music itself, are understood relationally to other genres in a hierarchy of value that reaffirms existing inequalities in the cultural labour market.

Sociology, Oct 1, 2010

The Sociological Review, May 1, 2015

This chapter explores the gendered dynamics of self-promotion by drawing on 64 in-depth interview... more This chapter explores the gendered dynamics of self-promotion by drawing on 64 in-depth interviews with female, classically trained musicians in London and Berlin. As in other sectors in the cultural industries, the ability to self-promote is considered key to finding employment. However, many research participants were reluctant to engage in self-promotion. First, it was associated with pushy behaviour that conflicts with normative expectations that women are modest. Second, self-promotion was regarded as a commercial activity and positioned as unartistic. Taking into account that women have been constructed as the artist's Other, engagement in selfpromotion may threaten their already tenuous status as artists. Lastly, the notion of selling yourself may evoke the spectre of prostitution due to the sexualization of female musicians and the fact that it is mainly women who sell their bodies. As I will show, these gendered dynamics do not mean that female musicians are unable to pursue self-promotion, but that they engage in a range of discursive strategies to negotiate and secure their identities as female artists.