Experts from the University of Worcester will confront some of the most un-talked about and controversial topics of our time in a new series at The Hive in the coming weeks.
University lecturers Holly Barnes-Bennetts (above and, pictured below, Katy Wareham Morris
The ‘Talking Taboos Discussion Group’ series will cover ‘fat activism’, sex, and ‘cancel culture’ in three free talks.
The first talk will examine ‘Fat Activism in a Health and Image Obsessed World’. In this talk, Robyn Platt will explore fat activism and body positivity while examining why beauty standards are so closely linked to shape, size, and the condition of people’s bodies, and how a person’s body can be seen as a representation of their character.
In the second talk, the following week, Holly Barnes-Bennetts will tackle ‘Sex, Consent and Cultures of Silence’.
Holly is a Lecturer in Media and Film Studies and a Cultural Studies Researcher in the area of consent. She said: “Throughout human history, sex has moved from a fairly public act and issue to an increasingly private act. It now exists in darkness and is shrouded in issues of shame and embarrassment.”
She continued: “We’ll also be talking about how that has created problems for us now and why that is the case, and why we feel so uncomfortable talking about sex. It’s aimed at encouraging people to get past that.”
She said: “It’s an issue for everyone, there’s no age cap on struggling with talking about sex, and the discomfort around talking about it.”
The final instalment of the series will address offence and how it is taken, in ‘Should We ‘Cancel’ Cancel Culture?’ with Katy Wareham Morris, who came up with the idea for the Talking Taboos Discussion Group.
Celebrities, writers, and academics have all been ‘cancelled’ online in various ways and for various reasons, but should people or topics be cancelled, or are internet platforms free, open, and democratic spaces for ideas and thoughts to be communicated?
Katy Wareham Morris said: “There are many social and cultural issues that people still feel apprehensive to talk about. They may discuss these at home, or with close friends but feel like perhaps they don’t have all the facts and feel quite nervous about speaking openly about these issues.”
She said: “My topic, ‘cancel culture’ was chosen because it has become one of those phrases which is either used too much, or gets used ineffectively and it raises questions people don’t have the answer to; who or what should be cancelled? What about free speech? It’s important that the topic doesn’t become conflated with purposeful and meaningful creation of open space which is needed for discussing complicated issues.”
The events are all free to attend, but attendees will need to book their places in advance to avoid disappointment.
The schedule of events is:
Wednesday 5 June 12-2pm: Fat Activism in a Health and Image Obsessed World with Robyn Platt.
Wednesday 12 June 4-6pm: Consent and Cultures of Silence with Holly Barnes Bennetts.
Wednesday 19 June: 12-2pm: Should We Cancel Cancel Culture? With Katy Wareham Morris.
Book your free place on the talks