Feature 1: “Consumption as Changemaking and Producers as Artists: Theorizing Alt-Profit Corporations from a Transnational Feminist Perspective” by Debjani Chakravarty and Christine Standish
In “Consumption as Changemaking and Producers as Artists: Theorizing Alt-Profit Corporations from a Transnational Feminist Perspective,” Dr. Debjani Chakravarty and Christine Standish analyze various marketing strategies that corporations use to evoke compassion and empathy from consumers. They categorize these strategies under the concept of “alt-profits,” which reflects both alternative and theoretically altruistic actions taken by these companies. The authors discuss how corporations profit from associations with producers in the Global South and the promotion of “compassionate consumption.” This video from the Nike Foundation’s “Girl Effect” campaign exemplifies the marketing strategies discussed in the article, showing how companies pursue “alt-profits” while projecting a facade of morality.
Feature 2: “Coming Out for Community, Coming Out for the Cause: Queer Arab American Activism in the 1990s” by Umayyah Cable ‘05
In “Coming Out for Community, Coming Out for the Cause: Queer Arab American Activism in the 1990s,” Dr. Umayyah Cable ’05 explores the life and activism of Palestinian American lesbian activist Huda Jadallah as a lens into queer and Arab activist movements of the 1980s and 1990s. Dr. Cable also discusses the archiving of queer Arab American histories and navigating the complex intersectionality of queer and Arab identities. A specialist in Arab American media activism and Palestinian solidarity politics in the United States, Dr. Cable further elaborates on these themes in a conversation with afikra – عفكرة podcast host Aya Nimer, where they discuss cinema and media as tools for Arab American activism and delve into Palestinian cinema and identity.