Last Monday, Maastricht hosted Sigrid Wallaert, a Flemish philosophy researcher from Ghent University, for a Studium Generale lecture intriguingly titled How Taylor Swift Revolutionised Academic Knowledge. Naturally, Swift fans at UM were eager to attend; the lecture hall on Tongersestraat is packed this evening. “Who here is a Swiftie, and who’s just curious to see what this is all about?” Wallaert asks the audience. The Swifties are in the majority.
Swiftian Turn
Wallaert, who wrote her dissertation on feminist rage, considers her research on Swift to be more of “a hobby”. She refers to what she calls a “Swiftian Turn” in Swift’s lyrics, where something often seems to happen or shift. “The first things that come to mind when you think of Swift’s music are boys and breakups, and girls dancing in glittery dresses. But the emotions in her lyrics deserve more attention.” Wallaert’s research focuses on rage, an emotion she argues is too often underestimated in women. “Swift fearlessly represents their perspective. This kind of rage is valued because it does something for women and acknowledges them.”
Emotions in academic research
Wallaert believes that academia itself could benefit from a “Swiftian Turn”, a shift away from traditionally masculine academic values. “Everything always has to be rational, detached and unemotional.” Emotions play a role in her research on Swift: “After all, researchers are people, too.” Researchers who are fans, she argues, can integrate their personal experiences and feelings into their work, rather than merely making observations. Or, as Wallaert puts it, “Lived experiences like joy or anger can be used in research practice.”
Criticism
Perhaps unsurprisingly, these ideas have sparked criticism. Can universities still be taken seriously if popular culture plays such a prominent role? “Are universities turning into nursery schools?” asked the Flemish newspaper De Morgen. As a self-proclaimed feminist, Wallaert thinks this is nonsense. “Women have every reason to be angry, but it’s often not taken seriously. Feminists are portrayed as angry, but if no one listens, the anger only grows. Just look at the lyrics of the song Mad Woman. It’s a statement about justified anger, which has become a theme in feminist scholarship.”
Political influence
Taylor Swift also uses her fame and massive platform for political purposes, like urging people to vote – with significant impact. During the lecture, one audience member asks, “Why is the Taylor Swift community so much stronger than those of other major pop stars, like Madonna or Britney Spears?” “I don’t know”, admits Wallaert. “I’ve only done research on Swift. But there’s definitely something special about her connection with her fans.”
In Wallaert’s view, Swift could leverage her platform even more, to advocate for causes such as Palestine or feminism. But for the researcher, that’s not the main point. “Above all, we should see her as an inspiration – someone who’s influencing feminism and politics.”