Karma Chávez
Karma R. Chávez is a rhetorical critic who utilizes textual and field-based methods[1] and studies the rhetorical practices of people marginalized within existing power structures. She has published numerous scholarly articles and books, including Queer Migration Politics: Activist Rhetoric and Coalitional Possibilities, as well as co-founding the Queer Migration Research Network. She works with social justice organizations and her scholarship is informed by queer of color theory, women of color feminism, poststructuralism, and cultural studies.
Chávez is currently Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Mexican American and Latino Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. She previously worked at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the Department of Communication Arts. For four years in Madison, she hosted a radio show on 89.9 FM WORT called "A Public Affair."[2]
Scholarly work
Chávez's work focuses primarily on social movement building, activist rhetoric, and coalitional politics.
Books
- Chávez, Karma R. Queer Migration Politics: Activist Rhetoric and Coalitional Possibilities. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2013.
- Chávez, Karma R. Palestine on the Air. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2019.
Edited volumes and special issues
- Tompkins, Kyla, Aren Aizura, Aimee Bahng, Karma R. Chávez, Mishuana Goeman, Shona Jackson, and Amber Musser, eds. Keywords in Gender and Sexuality Studies. New York: New York University Press, forthcoming 2021.
- Luibhéid, Eithne and Karma R. Chávez, eds. Queer and Trans Migrations: Dynamics of Detention, Deportation, and Illegalization. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, forthcoming, 2020.
- Chávez, Karma R., ed. Forum: “Sanctuary,” Departures in Critical Qualitative Research forthcoming, 2020.
- Hill, Annie and Karma R. Chávez, eds. Forum: “Queer Migration Studies and Critical Trafficking Studies,” Women’s Studies in Communication 41.4 (2018): 299-338.
- McKinnon, Sara L., Robert Asen, Karma R. Chávez and Robert Glenn Howard, eds. Text + Field: Innovations in Rhetorical Method. State College: Penn State University Press, 2016.
- Chávez, Karma R., ed. Special Issue: “Out of Bounds? Queer Intercultural Studies.” Journal of International and Intercultural Communication 6.2 (2013): 83-162.
- Chávez, Karma R. and Cindy L. Griffin, eds. Standing in the Intersection: Feminist Voices, Feminist Practices in Communication Studies. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2012.
- McKinnon, Sara L. and Karma R. Chávez, eds. Special Issue: “On Hospitality.” Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies 5.5 (2009): <http://liminalities.net> [2 audio essays and 9 essays totaling 130 pages]
- Griffin, Cindy L. and Karma R. Chávez, eds. Special Issue: “Power Feminism: Exploring Agency, Oppression and Victimage.” Women's Studies in Communication 32.1 (2009): 2-125.
Select articles
- “Homonormativity and Violence Against Immigrants.” QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking, forthcoming.
- “Parody, Perversion, and the Violence of Normal Political Culture.” Proceedings from the 2016 Public Address Conference. Charles E. Morris III and Kendall Phillips, Eds. Forthcoming.
- Chávez, Karma R. “Refusing Queer Violence.” QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking 3.3 (2016): 161-164.
- Chávez, Karma, Yasmin Nair and Ryan Conrad for Against Equality. “Equality, Sameness, Difference: Revisiting the Equal Rights Amendment.” WSQ: Women's Society Quarterly 43.3/4 (2015): 272-275.
- Chávez, Karma R. and Cindy L. Griffin. “Women’s Studies in Communication Still Matters.” Women's Studies in Communication 37 (2014): 262-265.
- Chávez, Karma R., Ryan Conrad and Yasmin Nair for Against Equality. “Against Equality, Against Capitalism: Towards an Economic Critique of Gay Marriage.” After Homosexual: The Legacy of Gay Liberation. Carolyn D'Cruz and Mark Pendleton, Eds. University of Western Australia Press, 2014. 393-400.
Contributions and recognition
Chávez is the co-founder of the Queer Migration Research Network, which is an interdisciplinary initiative that examines how migration processes fuel the production, contestation, and remaking of sexual and gender norms, cultures, communities, and politics. She is also a former organizer for LGBT Books to Prisoners.
Chávez has received multiple awards and honors, including Book of the Year in 2014 from the GLBT Studies Division of the National Communication Association (NCA). Additionally, NCA's Latino Studies Division named her the 2015 Puchot-Córdova Scholar of the Year, and she won the 2015 Lambda Award for LGBTQ Advocacy from NCA's Caucus on LGBTQ Concerns. Her co-edited volume, Standing in the Intersection: Feminist Voices, Feminist Practices in Communication Studies, was selected as Best Edited Book by the Organization for the Study of Communication, Language, and Gender in 2013. Chávez also won NCA's Karl R. Wallace Memorial Award in 2013.
Awards and honors
- Peacekeeper of the Year, Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice, 2015
- Puchot-Córdova Scholar of the Year, La Raza Caucus of the National Communication Association, 2015
- Lambda Award for LGBTQ Advocacy, Caucus on LGBTQ Concerns of the National Communication Association, 2015
- Race, Ethnicity and Indigeneity Fellow, UW Madison Institute for Research in the Humanities, 2015–2016
- Nominee, UW Multicultural Student Center Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award, 2015
- Book of the Year, GLBT Studies Division of the National Communication Association (NCA), 2014
- NCA-Forum Centennial Award: Social Engagement, 2014
- UW Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives/First Wave Excellence Award, 2014
- UW Multicultural Student Center Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award, 2014
- Best Edited Book (for Standing in the Intersection), Organization for the Study of Communication, Language, and Gender, 2013
- Karl R. Wallace Memorial Award, National Communication Association, 2013
- Outstanding Woman of Color Award, University of Wisconsin, 2013
- Feminist Scholar Award, Organization for Research on Women and Communication (for the best article in Women's Studies in Communication in 2010 - “Spatializing Gender Performativity: Ecstasy and Possibilities for Livable Life in the Tragic Case of Victoria Arellano.” 33.1: 1-15.), 2011
- Nominee, Best Article, International and Intercultural Communication Division of the NCA (for “Embodied Translation: Dominant Discourse and Communication with Migrant Bodies-as-Text.” Howard Journal of Communications 20.1 (2009): 18-36.), 201
Further reading
- Sorce, Giuliana (3 July 2015). "Chávez, Karma R. Queer Migration Politics: Activist Rhetoric and Coalitional Possibilities.: Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2013. 214 pp. $27.00 (paperback). ISBN-13: 978-0-252-07958-0". Women's Studies in Communication. 38 (3): 353–355. doi:10.1080/07491409.2015.1064722.
- Wieskamp, Valerie N. (10 March 2014). "Standing in the Intersection: Feminist Voices, Feminist Practices in Communication Studies ed. by Karma R. Chávez, Cindy L. Griffin (review)". Rhetoric & Public Affairs. 17 (1): 183–186. doi:10.14321/rhetpublaffa.17.1.0183.
- Wieskamp, Valerie N. (10 March 2014). "Standing in the Intersection: Feminist Voices, Feminist Practices in Communication Studies ed. by Karma R. Chávez, Cindy L. Griffin (review)". Rhetoric & Public Affairs. 17 (1): 183–186. doi:10.14321/rhetpublaffa.17.1.0183.
- Aiello, Giorgia; Bakshi, Sandeep; Bilge, Sirma; Hall, Lisa Kahaleole; Johnston, Lynda; Pérez, Kimberlee; Chávez, Karma (May 2013). "Here, and Not Yet Here: A Dialogue at the Intersection of Queer, Trans, and Culture". Journal of International and Intercultural Communication. 6 (2): 96–117. doi:10.1080/17513057.2013.778155.
- Wray, Amanda B. (2 January 2017). "Text + Field: Innovations in Rhetorical Method , Sara L. McKinnon, Robert Asen, Karma R. Chávez, and Robert Glenn Howard: University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2016. 231 pages. $34.95 paperback". Rhetoric Review. 36 (1): 105–108. doi:10.1080/07350198.2017.1246026.
- Chávez, Karma R.; Griffin, Cindy L. (2 September 2014). "Women's Studies in Communication Still Matters". Women's Studies in Communication. 37 (3): 262–265. doi:10.1080/07491409.2014.955434.
- Chávez, Karma R. (4 May 2010). "Spatializing Gender Performativity: Ecstasy and Possibilities for Livable Life in the Tragic Case of Victoria Arellano". Women's Studies in Communication. 33 (1): 1–15. doi:10.1080/07491401003669729.
- Sowards, Stacey K. (21 October 2014). "Queer Migration Politics: Activist Rhetoric and Coalitional Possibilities by Karma R. Chávez (review)". QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking. 1 (3): 178–181. doi:10.14321/qed.1.3.0178.
- Queer Migration Network Initiative, QMN. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2017, from https://www.lgbt.arizona.edu/queer-migration-research-network-qmrn-initiative
- About MMD. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2017, from http://www.madmutualdrift.org/about.html
- Wagner, Kirstin (2015). "Queer Migration Politics: Activist Rhetoric and Coalitional Possibilities by Karma R. Chávez (review)". Rhetoric & Public Affairs. 18 (4): 759–763. doi:10.14321/rhetpublaffa.18.4.0759.
- Dorsky, Jessica (29 January 2015). "'Queering Borders' event illuminates the importance of diverse dialogues". Madison.com. ProQuest 1649069978.
- Erickson, Doug (25 January 2015). "For gay prisoners nationwide, Madison effort provides a literary lifeline with free books". WiscNews.com. ProQuest 1647893939.
- "Visiting Professor Chavez to Discuss Immigration Politics". Targeted News Service. 9 November 2015. ProQuest 1732050336.
See also
- Queer Migration
- Rhetoric
- Social movement
- Coalition
- Field Methods
References
- Chavez, Karma (2016-06-02). Text + Field: Innovations in Rhetorical Method. ISBN 9780271078106.
- ""A Public Affair" bids farewell to host Karma Chavez". Wort FM. June 15, 2016.