Join the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity on Wednesday, November 29th, from 7 pm - 8:30 pm in the Jayhawk Room of the KU Memorial Union for our annual Jana Mackey Distinguished Lecture Series. 

This year's lecture features Akiko Takeyama speaking on the topic of her new book Involuntary Consent: The Illusion of Choice in Japan's Adult Video Industry (Stanford University Press, 2023). 

Appetizers and refreshments are provided. 

ABOUT INVOLUNTARY CONSENT

Of Takeyama's book, the publisher writes: "The popularity of pornography is predicated on the idea that those participating have given their consent. That is what allows the porn industry to dominate the media economy today, generating staggering sums of money. Looking at behind-the-scenes negotiations and abuses in Japan's adult video industry, author Akiko Takeyama challenges this pervasive notion with the idea of 'involuntary consent.' This phenomenon, she argues, is ubiquitous, not only in the porn industry, but in our everyday lives. And yet modern society, built on beliefs of autonomy, free choice, and equality, renders it all but invisible. ...In this ethnography of Japan's porn industry, Akiko Takeyama investigates the paradox of involuntary consent in modern liberal democratic societies. Taking consent as her starting point, Takeyama illustrates the nuances of contract making and the legal structures, or lack thereof, that govern Japan's adult video and sex entertainment industries."

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Akiko Takeyama (she/her) is Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Director of the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Kansas. Her research and teaching interests lie in changing gender, sexuality, and class dynamics in the context of neoliberal globalization. Her first book, Staged Seduction (Stanford University Press, 2016), was shortlisted for the 2017 Michelle Rosaldo Book Prize.

ABOUT THE LECTURE SERIES

In honor and memory of Jana Lynne Mackey, the University of Kansas established the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity's Jana Mackey Distinguished Lecture Series in 2009. On July 3, 2008, Jana Lynne Mackey lost her life to violence perpetrated by an ex-boyfriend in Lawrence, Kansas. The 25-year-old University of Kansas law student was an advocate for women’s rights and "equality for all persons." She spent years volunteering to aid victims and survivors of sexual assault and relationship violence. In an effort to continue her important work, this lecture series was established to raise awareness about feminist issues close to Jana's heart, with the purpose of enhancing understanding, calling for activism, and providing a platform for discussion. Learn more about Jana's story by visiting Jana's Campaign.

ACCOMMODATIONS

The Emily Taylor Center welcomes and encourages people with disabilities to participate in our events. Please email your accessibility questions or accommodation requests to emilytaylorcenter@ku.edu.