Since the late 2000s, discussions in mainstream media on “women in tech” have highlighted the lack of diversity in this sector while also informing a limited increase in their representation in popular film and television. The musical tv series Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist offers an example through Zoey, a software programmer who can hear people express their thoughts through popular songs.
In this talk, Dr Sammartino will explore the workplace relationship between Zoey and her boss Joan as a means of negotiation of popular feminism and the role of “women in tech” in the mainstream. The analysis will demonstrate how the conventions of the musical emphasise an affective reconfiguration of the workplace that reinforces discourses of female empowerment, confidence, and self-regulation, ultimately amplifying neoliberal feminist values.
This seminar will take place online.