The University of Melbourne is set to hold an academic conference on the influence of Taylor Swift, who has made a significant impact on culture, economics, and music. The event aims to examine her impact in various fields, from fandom and pop culture to literature, the economy, and the music industry. According to the conference’s website, the event will engage in “critical dialogue” about the Swift phenomenon. Scheduled for February 11 to February 13, 2024, the conference will be supported by seven universities in Australia and New Zealand. It coincides with Swift’s upcoming “Eras” tour to Australia, which adds more excitement to the event.
According to the organizers, “Swiftposium” is now open for paper submissions from researchers in the Asia-Pacific area. The conference will cover a wide range of topics related to Swift’s career, including sociology, economics, marketing, and gender studies. Swift’s massive fan base has sparked discussions on her carefully curated relationship with her followers, her role in pop culture, and the complexities of intellectual property law. “Swiftposium” will delve into these subjects, seeking papers that examine Swift’s connection to social movements like feminism and LGBTQ+ rights, her impact on political, gender, race, and identity discussions, her tours’ effects on local economies and cultural identities of cities, and literary interpretations of her lyrics.
The influence of Swift has already caused a significant impact, quite literally. During her Seattle “Eras” tour concert at Lumen Field in July, the fans’ excitement resulted in seismic activity measuring up to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake, according to seismologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach.
According to exclusive data provided by research firm QuestionPro to CNN, Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour has the potential to earn a whopping $2.2 billion in North American ticket sales alone. In fact, universities worldwide have been offering courses related to Swift’s music even before the launch of the “Swiftposium.”
Belgium’s Ghent University plans to introduce a literature course this autumn that celebrates the literary value of Taylor Swift’s discography. Meanwhile, The University of Texas at Austin has designed a course that delves into the works of Shakespeare and Keats alongside Swift’s writing. Similarly, Arizona State University offers a course titled “Advanced Topics of Social Psychology: Psychology of Taylor Swift.”
