Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture <http://reconstruction.eserver.org>, an on-line journal of culture studies, is to publish a special issue on film in the third quarter of 2007. Original essays and reviews of films or text about film are invited for a collection tentatively entitled “Transgressing the Frontier: Modernity, American Ideology, and Cinema." The purpose of this issue is to explore the role of ideology in current film works with an emphasis on boundary breaking and exploration from a variety of scholarly approaches and perspectives. Ideally this collection will explore the critical intersection between film and culture.

Possible topics include studies of how film has responded to historical events (The End of the Cold War, Disease and Sexuality, Politics), oppression (Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, "Youth," Globalization), aspects of Love, Hate, Sexuality, and Death. What has been brought to the public discussion about these concerns through film? What is the context within which film responds? Has film changed the discussion? Essays that explore concepts of the American West in particular, as in the Western film genre, but also space travel as the new or "final" frontier, and transgression of personal boundary exploration as frontier are particularly welcome. We would like to see essays on American film or foreign film about America, especially films from the past fifteen years.

Studies of Gender, Race, Ethnicity, Class, Sexuality, and Media encouraged. Any number of methodological approaches are appropriate and not limited to: Film Studies, Feminism, Marxism, Post-colonial Studies, Sociology, Literary Analysis, Anthropology, Ethnography, Culture, Historical Analysis, Psychology, Theater and Performance Studies, Genre, etc.

Please submit completed manuscripts (style, 15-25 pages in length) with 250 word abstracts to <bennetth@care2.com>.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at the above email address.

The deadline for submission of completed papers is May 2nd, 2007.

This collection edited by Bennett Huffman.