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Background

Dr. Mary Douglas Vavrus is an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Twin-Cities. Her main foci of research are media representations of gender, feminism, post feminism, and connections between the media and military. Dr. Mary Vavrus was born in Lafayette, Indiana, with her hometown being West Lafayette, Indiana. She married Steve Jahn and has town sons. She currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Vavrus received her Bachelor of Arts in Technical Communication and Master of Science in Mass Communication from Purdue University. Dr. Vavrus then went on to the University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign where she received her Doctor of Philosophy in Communication in July of 1997. Her dissertation was on Media Discourses and Post feminism: “An Analysis of Gender Logic in the Year” of the Woman. She then became an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Twin-Cities in 1997 as an assistant professor. Today as an associate professor, currently at University of Minnesota Twin-cities. She currently works in the Communication Studies Department, Feminist Studies Department, and the Woman’s Studies Program.

Scholarly Work

Dr. Mary Vavrus is an extremely accomplished scholar and has written a number of journal articles regarding regarding media representations of gender, as well as gender and the military. In February of 2013, she wrote an article based on the show, “Army Wives” on the Lifetime network. Vavrus argues many different topics throughout the article. In the article, Vavrus states “Army wives produces gendered military propaganda using the conventions of soap opera and serial drama- genres typically intended for female audiences- in an attempt to fix meanings around Army family life.” Vavrus believes that the program is directed towards women and America so that it normalizes army life. Also it is an attempt to showcase how the army life is in a better light. She also states “Army Wives, on the other hand, does this as it’s partners with brick-and-mortar support organizations, corporations, and individuals to create sympathetic narrative commentary about the current conflicts’ impact on families.” She believes, that the show does not equally portray what an actually Army family is like. The show only portrays softer realistic stories such as the husbands building schools or rescuing dogs instead of the harder portals such as combat or rescue missions. The show also makes sure that it is known that the woman come second and men come first. An episode clearly makes this point when a wife of a soldier is frustrated with her husband not being there to help her move. Another army wife then says “Yes, it is not like he is off protecting our country or anything.” Vavrus’ research of the show has made people seen how what she argues is true.  

Earlier in her career Dr. Vavrus wrote the book "Postfeminist New: Political Women in Media Culture." In the book, Vavrus takes a look at the different news reports that shaped the views of society towards women in politics. She examines the process of representing political women in the media. She argues that the news outlets promote postfeminist politics which encourages women’s aspirations for a private middle-class life. While discouraging a life in the public and public activism. In the book topics covered range from the Anita Hill- Clarence hearings of 1991, the 1991-1992 “Year of the Woman” in politics, as well as the Senate campaign of Hilary Clinton in 2000. Vavrus also assesses the logic of the narratives of the ongoing themes about gender. While also investigating the significance of those accounts for women as well as feminism. She ultimately argues that feminism has been displaced by postfeminism in the news account of women in politics.

Other Contributions

Director of Graduate Studies

Member: Doctoral Education Committee, National Communication Association , 2008 - 2013

Chair, American Studies Division, National Communication Association: 1998 - 2001

Professional Activities Research           

Awards

Diamond Anniversary Book Award, National Communication Association, November 200

"Where the Sexual and the Electoral Meet: Television in the Living-Room Rolis," Grant-in-Aid of Research, Artistry and Scholarship, University of Minnesota Office of the Vice President for Research, 2001 - 2002

Research on Gender in Cultural and Media Studies Fellowship, Institute of Communications Research, University of Illinois, 1996

Departmental Fellowship, Institute of Communications Research, University of Illinois, 1995 - 1996

Special Project Grant, Women's Studies Department, Univeristy of Illinois, 1996

Further Readings

Vavrus, M.D. (1998). Working the Senate from the Outside In: A Case Study in the Mediated Construction of a Feminist Political Campaign. Critical Studies in Mass

Communication, 15(3), 213-235.

Vavrus, M.D. (2000). From Women of the Year to “Soccer Moms”: The Case of the Incredible Shrinking Women. Political Communication, 17(2), 193-213.

Vavrus, M.D. (2000). Putting Ally on Trial: Contesting Postfeminism in Popular Culture. Women’s Studies in Communication, 23(3), 413-428.

Vavrus, M.D. (2002, September). Domesticating Patriarchy: Hegemonic Masculinity and Television’s “Mr. Mom.” Critical Studies in Media Communication, 19(3),

352-375.

Vavrus, M. D. (2007). The Politics of NASCAR Dads: Branded Media Paternity. Critical Studies In Media Communication, 24(3), 245-261.

doi:10.1080/07393180701520942

Vavrus, M. D. (2002). Postfeminist news: Political women in media culture. Albany: State University of New York Press

Nadler, A., & Vavrus, M. (2015). Critical Voices in the Future of News Debates. Communication  Review, 18(2), 71-81. doi:10.1080/10714421.2015.1031993

Vavrus, M. D. (2013). Lifetime's Army Wives , or I Married the Media-Military-Industrial Complex. Women's Studies In Communication, 36(1), 92-112.

doi:10.1080/07491409.2012.756441

Vavrus, M. D. (2012). Mic Checking Patriarchy. Women & Language, 35(1), 7-11.

Vavrus, M. D. (2007). The Politics of NASCAR Dads: Branded Media Paternity. Critical Studies In Media Communication, 24(3), 245-261.

doi:10.1080/07393180701520942

Vavrus, M. D. (2007). Opting Out Moms in the News. Feminist Media Studies, 7(1), 47-63. doi:10.1080/14680770601103704

Vavrus, M. D. (2002). Domesticating Patriarchy: Hegemonic Masculinity and Television's 'Mr. Mom.'. Critical Studies In Media Communication, 19(3), 352.

Vavrus, M. D. (2000). Putting Ally on Trial: Contesting Postfeminism in Popular Culture. Women's Studies In Communication, 23(3), 413.

Vavrus, M. D. (2000). From Women of the Year to “Soccer Moms”: The Case of the Incredible Shrinking Women. Political Communication, 17(2), 193-213.

doi:10.1080/105846000198477

Vavrus, M. D. (2012). In the Salon. Women & Language, 35(1), 117.

Vavrus, M. D. (2000). Feminist Politics in Postmodernity: Thinking Globally While Acting Locally. Human Studies, 23(3), 309-315.

Dr. Mary Douglas Vavrus

Personal Information

·            Bachelor of Arts in Technical Communication- Purdue University

·            Master of Science in Mass communication- Purdue University

·            Doctor of Philosophy in Communication- University of Illinois

·            Instructor- Purdue University (1986-1989)  

·            Instructor- University of Illinois (1991-1994)

·            Assistant Professor: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (1997-present)

·            Associate Professor with Tenure: University of Minnesota- Twin Cities (2003-present)

Main Focus of Research

o  Media representations of gender

o  Feminism

o  Post feminism

o  Connections between the media and military

Vavrus, M. D. (2013). Lifetime's Army Wives , or I Married the Media-Military-Industrial Complex. Women's Studies In Communication, 36(1), 92-112. doi:10.1080/07491409.2012.756441

·            Scholarly Work

o  Postfeminist News: Political Women in Media Culture

•      Director of Graduate Studies: May, 2008

•      Member: Doctoral Education Committee, National Communication Association , 2008 - 2013

•      Member, Women's Studies Graduate Faculty, University of Minnesota:

•      Chair, American Studies Division, National Communication Association: 1998 - 2001

•      Member, International Communication Association:

•      Member, National Communication Association:

•      Professional Activities Research

·            AWARDS

    •       Diamond Anniversary Book Award, National Communication Association, November 2003

    •                   "Where the Sexual and the Electoral Meet: Television in the Living-Room Rolis," Grant-in-Aid of Research, Artistry and Scholarship, University of Minnesota Office of the Vice President for Research, 2001 - 2002

    •       Research on Gender in Cultural and Media Studies Fellowship, Institute of Communications Research, University of Illinois, 1996

    •       Departmental Fellowship, Institute of Communications Research, University of Illinois, 1995 - 1996

    •       Special Project Grant, Women's Studies Department, Univeristy of Illinois, 1996

Further Readings

·            Vavrus, M.D. (1998). Working the Senate from the Outside In: A Case Study in the Mediated Construction of a Feminist Political Campaign. Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 15(3), 213-235. Lead Article. Peer reviewed.

·            Vavrus, M.D. (2000). From Women of the Year to “Soccer Moms”: The Case of the Incredible Shrinking Women. Political Communication, 17(2), 193-213. Peer reviewed.

·            Vavrus, M.D. (2000). Putting Ally on Trial: Contesting Postfeminism in Popular Culture. Women’s Studies in Communication, 23(3), 413-428. Solicited and reviewed by the editor.

·            Vavrus, M.D. (2002, September). Domesticating Patriarchy: Hegemonic Masculinity and Television’s “Mr. Mom.” Critical Studies in Media Communication, 19(3), 352-375. Peer reviewed.

·            Vavrus, M. D. (2007). The Politics of NASCAR Dads: Branded Media Paternity. Critical Studies In Media Communication, 24(3), 245-261. doi:10.1080/07393180701520942

References

·            https://cla.umn.edu/about/directory/profile/vavru001

·            https://apps.cla.umn.edu/directory/items/cv/18499.pdf