Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Elizabeth I, reputed to have owned over 3000 dresses, was noted for her gowns, which consciously represented both English nationalism and the majesty of the English monarchy. Margaret Thatcher had a diplomatic wardrobe expressly designed so that she would

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper argues that the construction of Islamic dress codes as
matters of ‘religious identity’ has shaped a number of
counterproductive trends in the judicial reasoning and public debate
around the issue in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. One of these
trends is the production of an ever more docile and exposed subject
through the subtle mechanisms of public scrutiny and moralising. The
paper's arguments draw on the critical thought of Wendy Brown, in
particular her discussion of 'moralism as anti-politics', signalling a
crisis in contemporary identity politics.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper examines the interaction between brides, their family members and friends, and saleswomen in the ritual acquisition of the white wedding dress in order to better understand the relationship between consumption, cultural capital, and gendered social interaction in contemporary wedding practices. The white wedding dress not only signifies the bride’s transition in social group membership from single women to married wives, but is a key marker of social status displayed to guests at the wedding, including family, friends, and co-workers. First, I provide a brief history of the white wedding dress and summarize the current literature on white weddings. Then I present data collected from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with women on their interpretations of white wedding ideology and experiences purchasing white wedding dresses. I conclude by discussing the finding this research adds to the current literature, which is that saleswomen and their sales tactics (including by appointment only policies, creating spectacles of beauty, and emotional manipulation) are influential in structuring the gendered cultural capital of the white wedding.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Using ethnographic data collected in the downtown party scene of Athens, Georgia, we examine how individuals negotiate urban public space. In particular, we explore whether the use of nightclub dress codes is a matter of race or class to black males who are disproportionately affected by these codes. We examine black males’ interpretive responses to being rejected from the nightclubs. We find that, although there is no definitive evidence that the nightclub owners are being racially discriminatory in their enforcement of dress codes, black males’ responses are generally rooted in race. We conclude that despite a complex relationship between race and class for blacks, ultimately dress codes represent a matter of taste grounded in social class experience rather than race.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study looks at theories of political institutions and institutional change in authoritrian regimes. It employs a new dataset on legislative elections and parties in 179 authoritarian regimes between 1970 and 2005.