Why the Magic Matters: Discovering Disney as a Laboratory for Learning<\/a>. The book, co-edited with Elon University professor Alexis T. Franzese, gathers essays from professors across the country who use Disney as a springboard for serious analysis.<\/p>\n\u201cThe premise,\u201d Jill explains, \u201cis that Disney is everywhere \u2014 film, TV, streaming, sports, ESPN, and is even on our clothing. If something is this embedded in our culture, it\u2019s worth studying. What does it mean? How does it shape us?\u201d<\/p>\n
The book brings together a wide range of voices, from a Business professor exploring Disney\u2019s marketing strategies to a data scientist who uses Disney data in teaching her students. There\u2019s a chapter \u00a0by a film historian revealing Walt Disney as one of the 20th century\u2019s first environmentalists,and one by an Asian studies professor talking about Disney\u2019s Asian parks compared to other theme parks in Asia.<\/p>\n
Finding that range of disciplines was key, says Jill, who thinks the book reflects that variety. \u201cWe have chapters based in disability studies, Indigenous studies, media studies, religious studies, sociology and psychology, business and marketing, data science, history, leadership studies \u2026 the goal really was to have as broad a range as possible,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn (First Year Seminar) we model the kind of questioning students will practice throughout their time at Guilford,\u201d she says. \u201cAnalyzing Disney asks them to look beneath the familiar and see the deeper cultural forces at work.\u201d<\/p>\n
The class also reflects Guilford\u2019s broader ethos: small, discussion-driven, and unafraid to probe the unexpected. In addition to teaching her Disney first -year seminar,, Jill has taught study-away classes that include trips to Walt Disney World in Florida. “I keep our excursions as affordable as possible,” she says. \u201cIt\u2019s not about chasing pixie dust; it\u2019s about sharpening minds.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her own fascination with Disney began in childhood, when a family trip to Walt Disney World opened her eyes to a place \u201cdesigned to make people happy.\u201d That early wonder soon met adult curiosity. \u201cWhen I love something, I think about it critically,\u201d she says. \u201cDisney is a mirror of American innovation, nostalgia, and complexity. Studying it helps us understand ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Why the Magic Matters aims for the same accessibility. Though grounded in scholarship, the book invites general readers to follow along, whether or not they\u2019ve ever set foot in a Disney park. \u201cWe wrote it for undergraduates and anyone intrigued by how culture works,\u201d Jill says.<\/p>\n
For Guilford, the project showcases the power of a liberal arts education to turn everyday phenomena into profound learning. \u201cDisney may feel like background noise,\u201d Jill says. \u201cBut when students learn to question what seems unquestionable, that\u2019s where the magic \u2013 and the education \u2013 really happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
Professors like Jill \u2013 creative, curious, and committed to opening minds \u2013 are what make us Uniquely Guilford. To learn more about how Guilford\u2019s faculty and programs spark discovery, contact Steve Mencarini.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Jill Peterfeso, Guilford\u2019s Eli Franklin Craven and Minnie Phipps Craven Professor of Religious Studies, initially dreamed up…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":463951,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3938],"tags":[3444,77,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-463950","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-books","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115295096341527656","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=463950"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463950\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/463951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=463950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=463950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=463950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}