The Department of Anthropology hosted its second annual “Dollyfest” at the Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology on Thursday.
The event was an end-of-semester celebration for the course “The Anthropology of Dolly Parton,” taught by Sarah Phillips.
Dollyfest featured a gallery showcase of students’ final projects, inviting faculty, students and community members to walk through and engage with work created throughout the semester. From research displays to creative interpretations, like podcasts, magazines, and tarot cards, each table offered a unique way to explore the cultural impact of the American singer-songwriter and actress.
The class, taught this semester for the second time, explores themes such as gender, class, religion and regional identity through the lens of Parton’s life and career.
Danin Richardson, a second-year undergraduate teaching intern for the class, said Parton is an ideal figure for this kind of academic exploration because her life connects to such a wide range of anthropological topics.
“When we approach research on Dolly Parton, we’re not approaching it as super fans, even though we are,” Richardson said. “We’re approaching it by looking at a figure who has had a huge cultural reach and has been well documented over the last 60 years. The topics that relate to her are broad and cover a vast amount of ground.”
The event featured two sessions between 1-2 p.m. of eight booths where students could show off their final projects. Attendees were invited to explore the projects as well as enjoy Parton-themed refreshments such as Parton themed cupcakes and decorations.
Students began working on their projects in March. Freshman Margaret McConville and her group created a podcast exploring how modern female artists could be compared to Parton.
“We each chose an artist to research in relation to Dolly Parton,” McConville said. “I chose Sabrina Carpenter. We did our individual research and then brought it together in a podcast recording booth in Franklin Hall.”
McConville said she appreciated the opportunity to learn about social and cultural issues through someone she has long admired.
“Dolly is an icon for every generation; my grandmother loves her because they’re in the same generation, with that ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ mindset in a world that tries to keep women down,” McConville said. “My mom loves her because of the positive image she projects into society. And I love her for all of those reasons. She supports women, she supports loving everybody and she’s also incredibly cool.”
Rachel Seymore, the associate instructor for the course, said teaching anthropology via a widely recognized and relatable figure like Parton helps broaden how students engage with the discipline.
She said that Parton’s decades-long career, which spans several periods of major social change, makes her an especially valuable subject who is often relatable to students.
“It proves that anthropology isn’t just something stuck in the classroom,” Seymore said. “Anthropology is all around us. It’s the study of humanity. This is about understanding our culture by looking at who we are through a popular culture figure in more detail.”
The department and Seymore hopes to offer the course next spring, while also hosting a third annual “Dollyfest” next year.
