As of June 10th, cultural sociologist Phillipa K. Chong joined the Department of Arts and Culture Studies at ESHCC as visiting professor. Phillipa specialises in how we define and evaluate the worth: the value we assign to social objects such as books, paintings, knowledge and opinions, and social groups such as experts, artists minority groups. In this short interview, she will tell a bit more about herself.
"I'm interested in how meaning emerges from and drives how we live our lives"
Phillipa K. Chong is a cultural sociologist and is currently working as an Assistant Professor in Sociology at the McMaster University, Canada. Her new book ‘Inside the critics’ circle – Book Reviewing in Uncertain Times’ is about to be published soon. 'I'm interested in how meaning emerges from and drives how we live our lives. At present, I'm thinking about how we think about Art and its place in society: as recreation, as inspiration, and even a remedy to various social problems.'
This is not the first time Phillipa K. Chong visits the Erasmus University Rotterdam, she joined the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication before in Spring 2012. What made her return for another visit? 'I was taken by the cultural life of Rotterdam and the intellectual life of Erasmus, in particular', explains Phillipa Chong. ‘The sheer concentration of people who are focused on questions related to the Arts is not something that can be found everywhere. This makes Erasmus quite a special environment for me coming from Canada.
"I hope to set up the infrastructure for an on-going collaboration between researchers here and back home in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada."
With this second visit to Rotterdam, Phillipa Chong set new goals for herself. 'My 10.000 foot view is to connect discussions about the Arts and social policy in North America and Europe more generally. But for this visit to Rotterdam, I hope to set up the infrastructure for an on-going collaboration between researchers here and back home in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.'
She hopes to produce the best information possible about how art can (and cannot) transform our communities and provide empirically-grounded guidance for policy-making and city development initiatives.
Welcome to Rotterdam, Phillipa!
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Inside the critics' circle - Book Reviewing in Uncertain Times
In ‘Inside the critics’ circle – Book Reviewing in Uncertain Times’, Phillipa K. Chong takes readers behind the scenes in the world of fiction reviewing by exploring the ways that critics evaluate books despite the inherent subjectivity involved, and the uncertainties of reviewing when seemingly anyone can be a reviewer.
Drawing on interviews with critics from such venues as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post, Phillipa Chong delves into the complexities of the review-writing process, including the considerations, values, and cultural, and personal anxieties that shape what critics do.