- Professor Helen Wood is an expert in television studies and cultural theory
- She will highlight the need for more care in reality TV production, drawing on 25 years of research that examines how media shapes society and reflects power dynamics
- Her inaugural lecture will take place at Aston University on Monday 18 November.
The need for greater care and fairness in the creative industries, particularly in reality TV production, will be explored in a public lecture at Aston University on Monday 18 November at 1800 hrs.
In her inaugural lecture, From caring about the ‘ordinary’ to care justice for the creative industries, Helen Wood, professor of media and cultural studies at Aston University, will draw on her 25 years of research to examine how media shapes society and reflects power structures, particularly in relation to class, race and gender. Focusing on the seemingly ordinary and everyday, she will explore how television, especially reality TV, engages its audience and represents ordinary people.
Professor Wood will also introduce her current work on ‘care justice’ in the media. She is leading a funded research project, ReCARETV, which investigates the working practices within reality television production. The project explores the interactions between policy makers, production crew and participants, highlighting the need for better industry conditions and stronger duties of care for participants, as demanded by UK media regulator Ofcom.
Her research is part of a growing body of work showing how the creative industries are highly competitive and unequal. By arguing for a principle of care justice, Professor Wood will make a case for transforming these industries into more caring and equitable spaces.
Professor Wood said:
“I’ve always been fascinated by how television and media reflect and shape our social lives.
“While reality television might seem trivial to some, it can reveal a lot about power dynamics in society.
“Research increasingly shows how the creative industries are competitive, individualising and extremely uneven. And by calling for a principle of care justice, this talk ends with the pitch to make the creative industries a more caring and equal space for all.”
The lecture is free to attend and open to all, both in-person and online, but places must be booked in advance via Eventbrite.
The in-person lecture will be held in the Susan Cadbury Lecture Theatre at Aston Business School, Aston University, B4 7ET. Tea and coffee will be available from 1800 hrs onwards, and the lecture will be followed by a wine reception from 1930 to 2000 hrs.
Further information on other lectures in this series can be found on the Aston University website.
- Notes to Editors
About Professor Helen Wood
Professor Wood is an expert in television studies and cultural theory, with an interest in how media representations and audience interactions connect with broader social issues. At Aston University, her research continues to focus on how media production and regulation shape the portrayal of ordinary people and their stories.
About Aston University
For over a century, Aston University’s enduring purpose has been to make our world a better place through education, research and innovation, by enabling our students to succeed in work and life, and by supporting our communities to thrive economically, socially and culturally.
Aston University’s history has been intertwined with the history of Birmingham, a remarkable city that once was the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and the manufacturing powerhouse of the world.
Born out of the First Industrial Revolution, Aston University has a proud and distinct heritage dating back to our formation as the School of Metallurgy in 1875, the first UK College of Technology in 1951, gaining university status by Royal Charter in 1966, and becoming The Guardian University of the Year in 2020.
Building on our outstanding past, we are now defining our place and role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Sam Cook, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7446 910063 or email: s.cook2@aston.ac.uk
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