faculty profile

Professor examines how women of color stand up, speak back to cultural assumptions

by Shauna Nuckles
Communication News Lab

Ralina Joseph, just finishing her fourth year as assistant professor in Department of Communication, is the recipient of two prestigious fellowships for the coming year — one from the Ford Foundation* and the other from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation.

“The fellowships give me some time, so I’m not teaching and can focus on writing,” Joseph said, who is at work on a new book.

The idea for her book came to her while she was working on an article concerning the Tyra Banks “fat scandal.”

Joseph was interested in how the former supermodel was able to reframe the criticism and create a space for her in the media to speak back.

Her book, Speaking Back: How Black Women Resist Post-Identity Culture, Joseph examines how minority women fight back against a sexist and racist culture.

“Issues of race and inequality are central to how I see the world,” Joseph said.
She plans to research Michelle Obama, Margaret Cho, and the women of the television show The View, as well as interview groups of women watching America’s Next Top Model.

“I wanted to have the voices of young women in this book as well as analysis of media events,” Joseph said.

In addition to teaching, writing and researching, Joseph stays busy with her 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.

Joseph recently spoke about her book on KUOW radio. Listen to the entire interview here >> (originally aired on 8/14/09)

Ford awards 20 postdoctoral fellowships, which provide one year of support for individuals engaged in postdoctoral study after the attainment of the Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree between 2001 and 2008. Postdoctoral fellowships are awarded in a national competition administered by the National Research Council (NRC) on behalf of the Ford Foundation. The awards are made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.