Anjali Ram

Dr. Anjali Ram is a professor of Communication and Media Studies. She has a Ph.D. and M.A. in Communication Studies from Ohio University, and a M.A. and B.A. in English from the University of Pune, India. She primarily teaches  courses in Intercultural Communication, Media Theory, Research Methods, and Gender. Her research explores what it means to be transnational and intercultural in a world that is experiencing the political, economic, cultural, and social ramifications of new communication technologies and intense cross-border migrations. She has published a book entitled, Consuming Bollywood: Gender, Globalization and Media in the Indian Diaspora. Her work has also appeared in scholarly journals such as Women’s Studies in Communication, Human Development, Mind, Cultural and Activity, Cultural and Psychology and in edited books  such as Mediated Women,  Communicating Ethnic and Cultural Identity, and Sociology of the Diaspora: A Reader among others.

Courses Taught:

Gender, Globalization and Media
Intercultural Communication
International Communication
Intro to Mass Media
Mass Comm Research

Publications:

Ram, A. (2015). Forward. In R. O’Connell, Visualizing Culture: Analyzing the Cultural Aesthetics of the Web (pp.1-2). New York, NY: Peter Lang International Academic Publishers.

Ram, A. (2014). Consuming Bollywood: Gender, Globalization and Media in the Indian Diaspora. New York, NY: Peter Lang International Academic Publishers.

Bhatia, S. & Ram, A. (2012). Destiny’s Children: Remaking Culture and Transnational Identities in the Indian Diaspora in the U.S. In A. Hilger and C. Unger (Eds.), India in the World, 1947-1991: National and Transnational Perspectives. New York, NY: Peter Lang International Academic Publishers

Ram, A. (2008). Bollywood and globalization:  Reassembling gender and nation in Kal Ho Na Ho. In M. Meyers (Ed.), (2nd Ed), Women in popular culture: Representation and meaning. NY, New York: Hampton Press.

Ram, A. (2005). Review of the book East/west. Reason and Respect,1(2).

Ram, A. (2005). Review of the book Gender in applied communication contexts.  Sex Roles, 52, 713-714.

Ram, A. (2003). Memory and the reconstitution of cultural identities in the Asian Indian diaspora. In M. Fong and R. Chuang (Eds.), Communicating ethnic and cultural identity (pp.121-133). Lanham, MD: Rowan and Littlefield,

Ram, A. (2002). Framing the feminine: Diasporic readings of gender in Indian cinema. Women’s Studies in Communications, 25,(1) 25-52.

Ram, A. (2000). Review of the book A patchwork shawl: Chronicles of South Asian women in America. National Identity, 2,  98-100.

Ram, A. (1999).  Immigrant inscriptions:  Redefining race and gender in Mississippi Masala. In M. Meyers (Ed.), Mediated women: Representations in popular culture (pp.355-368).  Hampton Press. (co-authored)

Bhatia, A. & Ram A. (forthcoming). South Asian immigration to United States In E. Chang and M. Perera  (Eds), Biopsychosocial Approaches to Understanding Health in South Asian Americans. Springer Publishers.

Bhatia, S. & Ram A. (2009).  Theorizing identity in transnational and diaspora cultures: A critical approach to acculturation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 33 (2),140-149.

Bhatia, S. & Ram A. (2006).  Culture, hybridity and the dialogical self: Cases from the South Asian-American Diaspora. In A. K. Sahoo and B. Maharaj (Eds.),  Sociology of the Diaspora: A Reader. New Delhi: Rawat Press.

Bhatia, S. & Ram A. (2004).  Culture, hybridity and the dialogical self: Cases from the South Asian-American Diaspora. Mind, Culture, and Activity, 11, 224-240.

Bhatia, S. & Ram, A. (2001). Rethinking acculturation in relation to diasporic cultures and postcolonial identities. Human Development, 44, 1-17.

Bhatia, S. & Ram, A.  (2001). Locating the  dialogical self in the age of transnational migrations, border crossings and diasporas.  Culture and Psychology, 7,  296-309.

Singhal, A., & Ram, A. (1993).  The communication challenge to AIDS prevention and control.  Critique: A Review of Indian Journalism, 1, 30-36.

Hafen, S., & Ram, A. (1995).  Women's gossip justified:  Recuperating gossip as feminist praxis.  In J. Knuf (Ed.), Texts and identities: Proceedings of the third annual Kentucky conference on narrative, (pp.177-189).  Lexington: KY: University of Kentucky Printing Services.

Convention and Conference Presentations

Ram A. (November, 2015). “Bollywood, Citizenship and the Rhetoric of Hindu Exceptionalism in the Indian Diaspora.” Paper to be presented at the annual convention of the National Communication Association, Las Vegas, NE.

Ram, A. (May, 2014). Respondent for panel entitled, “Research and Reflections on the Dynamism of Race in Society. Panel to be presented at the annual convention of the Eastern Communication Association, Providence, MA.

Ram, A. (May, 2014). Roundtable participant for panel entitled, “Introducing “A Code of Professional Ethics for the Eastern Communication Association” Panel to be presented at the annual convention of the Eastern Communication Association, Providence, MA.

Ram, A. (May, 2011) Chair and Respondent for panel entitled, “Storytelling, Performance, Discovery, and Dialogue: Bringing the Margins Into the Center of Intercultural Communication Research. Panel presented at the annual convention of the International Communication Association, Boston, MA.

Ram, A. (April, 2009) Media, Globalization, and Intercultural Communication Research, Paper presented at the annual convention of the Eastern Communication Association, Providence, RI

Ram, A. (April, 2008).  Roundtable participant for panel entitled, “The Conflict of Difference: How Faculty of Color Manage Classroom Diversity,” Panel presented at the annual convention of the Eastern Communication Association, Pittsburg, PA.

Ram, A. (April, 2008). Respondent for panel entitled, “The Fluidity of “Home” and Hybrid Identities in the Experience of Cross Cultural Sojourners. Panel presented at the annual convention of the Eastern Communication Association, Pittsburg, PA.

Ram, A. (April, 2008). Respondent for panel entitled, “Culture Clash in the Classroom: From Difference to Dialogue?” Panel presented at the annual convention of the Eastern Communication Association, Pittsburg, PA.

Ram, A. (April, 2007). National texts/transnational identities: How Bollywood attempts to reach out to the Indian diaspora. Paper presented at the annual convention of the Eastern Communication Association, Providence, RI.

Ram, A. (April, 2007). Roundtable participant for panel titled, “Motherhood and Academia,”  presented at the annual convention of the Eastern Communication Association, Providence, RI.

Ram, A. (November, 2005). From spectator to protagonist:  A textual analysis of Bollywood’s representations of the diaspora. Paper to be presented at the annual convention of the National Communication Association, Boston, MA.

Ram, A. (November, 2005). Roundtable participant for panel titled, “Patriots” in the classroom: Discussions and debates post 9-11, to be held at the annual convention of the National Communication Association, Boston, MA.

Ram A. (April, 2004). “Rethinking power and positionality in feminist ‘native’ ethnography.” Paper presentation at the annual convention of the Eastern Communication Association, Boston, MA.

Ram A. (April, 2004). Roundtable participant for panel titled, “Not on my dime!”: Charting the contours of contested knowledge,” at the annual convention of the Eastern Communication Association, Boston, MA.

Ram A. (November, 2003). “Transnational Gendered Mediations: How South Asian women deploy the rhetoric of feminism to reconstitute identity in the Diaspora.” Paper presented at the annual convention of the National Communication Association, Miami, FL.

Ram A. (November, 2003). “Bollywood in the Diaspora: How Cinema Mediates Memory, National Identity and Cultural Difference.” Paper presented  at the annual convention of the National Communication Association, Miami, FL.

Ram A. (April, 2001). Disciplining feminism: An analysis of sexual identity in Hum Rahi, an Indian soap opera. Paper presented at the annual convention of the Eastern Communication Association, Portland. ME.

Ram, A.  (April 2001). Texts and Contexts: Re-examine the pedagogical resources available for teaching Intercultural Communication. Paper presented at the annual convention of the Eastern Communication Association, Portland. ME.

Ram, A. (November, 2000). “Cinema and the Imagined Community: Nationalism and Popular Culture in the Indian Diaspora.” Paper presented at the annual convention of the National Communication Association, Seattle.

Ram A. (November, 2000). Roundtable participant for discussion titled  “A Conversation about what Constitutes Ethnography: Multiple Voices in an Exploratory Forum” held at the annual convention of the National Communication Association, Seattle.

Ram, A. & Bhatia, S. (July, 2000). “Migrancy, Media and the Making of Imagined Moral Communities.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Moral Education, Glasgow, Scotland.

Ram, A. (November, 1999). “Framing the feminine: Diasporic readings of gender in Indian cinema.” Paper presented at the annual convention of the National Communication Association, Chicago. (Top Paper Award for the Feminist  and Women’s Studies Division).

Ram, A. (November, 1999).  Proposer and Chair for panel titled “Coloring Outside Intercultural Truisms” held at the annual convention of the National Communication Association, Chicago.

Ram, A. (November, 1999). “Beyond the rhetoric of  binarism: Postcolonial alternatives to teaching intercultural communication.”  Paper presented at the annual convention of the National Communication Association, Chicago.

Pathak, A., &  Ram, A. (November, 1998).  “Radha: Rituals of desire and raptures of devotion” Paper presented at the annual convention of the National Communication Association, New York.

Ram, A. (November, 1997).  "Field notes from home: Reflections on feminist ethnographic methods."  Poster session presented at the annual convention of the Speech Communication Association, Chicago.

Ram, A. (November, 1997).  "Re-territorializing the classroom: South Asian pedagogical encounters."  Poster session presented at the annual convention of the Speech Communication Association, Chicago.

Ram, A. (November, 1996).  "Is there an(other) voice in this class? The politics of representation in feminist pedagogy?” Paper presented at the annual convention of the Speech Communication Association, San Diego.

Ram, A.  (November, 1995).  "Third World others and First World marginals--all in (an)other space."  Paper presented at the annual convention of the Speech Communication Association, San Antonio.

Ram, A.  (November, 1995). "Inscribing the discourse of diversity within pedagogical spaces."  Paper presented at the annual convention of the Speech Communication Association, San Antonio.

Ram, A.,  & Hafen, S.  (October, 1995). "Narratives from the diaspora: (Re)presenting race, class and gender in Mississippi Masala and Bhaji on the Beach."  Paper presented at the Fourth International Kentucky Conference on Narrative, Lexington, Kentucky.

Ram, A., & Descutner, D. (November, 1994). "Who speaks in this text? A tri-partite analysis of gender construction in Hum Rahi." Paper presented at the annual convention of the Speech Communication Association, New Orleans.

Ram, A. (November, 1994).  "Cultural (Dis)engagements:  A semiotic analysis of South Asian women reading mainstream American television". Paper presented at the annual convention of the Speech Communication Association, New Orleans.

Hafen, S., & Ram, A. (October, 1994).  "Women's gossiping justified: Recuperating gossip as feminist praxis."  Paper presented at The Third Annual Kentucky Conference on Narrative, Lexington, Kentucky.

Ram, A., Rahoi, R., & Svenkerud, P. (July, 1994).  "Deciding who wears the white hat:  More effectively using myth and archetype in prosocial entertainment programming:  Lessons to be learned from Hum Rahi".  Paper  presented at the annual convention of the International Communication Association, Sydney, Australia.  (Awarded Top Student Paper and Ranked as One of the Top Three Papers of the Intercultural and Development Communication Division).

Ram, A. (October, 1993).  "Exchanges and interchanges."  Panel participant at the annual convention of the Ohio Speech Communication Association, Columbus, OH.

Ram, A., & Singhal, A. (August, 1992).  "Communication strategies for preventing, controlling, and coping with AIDS:  Problems and prospects."  Paper presented at the annual convention of the International Association for Mass Communication Research, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Invited Talks (Scholarly and Professional

2015 (March). Invited Speaker, “Bollywood and the Diaspora and How They Made Each Other: A Tale of Mediated Identities.” The Schomburg Visiting Scholars Program at Ramapo College, NJ.

2011 (June) Invited Speaker, “Bollywood: A Global Media Phenomenon. Presentation at Senior Week 2011: The Evolution of Modern India: From British Rule to Global Power, Three Rivers Community College, CT.

2005 (Oct) Invited Speaker, “Educating the Right Way: Response to Michael Apple.” Paper presented at Education Colloquium, Connecticut College, CT.

2004 (Nov) Invited Workshop Facilitator, “Doing Business in India: Considering the Cultural, Social, Political, and Economic Contexts,” for senior managers at EMC Corporation, Milford, MA.

2003 (Dec) Invited Workshop Co-Facilitator, “Doing Business in India: Considering the Cultural, Social, Political, and Economic Contexts,” for senior managers at EMC Corporation, Milford, MA.

2000 (Oct) Invited Workshop Co-Facilitator, “Cultural identity and cross-cultural conflict,” for staff and teachers at the Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut

998-99 Invited Workshop Facilitator, “Intercultural Communication: How to Communicate Effectively in the Contexts of National, Regional and Organizational Cultures” for Electricité de  France, Clark University, Worcester, MA.

997 (Dec) Invited Workshop Facilitator, “Morgan Construction Company Intercultural Communication Workshop,” for Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, MA.

994 (Feb) Invited Speaker, "Women as sign in Hum Rahi: An analysis of gender representation in an Indian soap opera". Paper presented at the Women's Studies Colloquium, Ohio University.

994 (Jan) Invited Speaker, "Lessons from the past, visions for the future."  Panel presentation at the Annual Ohio University Leadership Conference.

992 (Mar) Invited Workshop Facilitator, "Public Speaking and Interview Skills in a Cross-Cultural Context," for American Society for Engineers from India, Ohio University.

992 (Jan) Invited Workshop Facilitator, "Diversity and Difference: Issues in Cross-Cultural Communication," for International Student Union, Ohio University.

992 (May) Invited Speaker, "Changing roles, changing expectations:  A discussion of international women."  Panel presentation at the First Annual Conference for Women Students, Ohio University.

991 (Dec) Invited Workshop Facilitator, "Public Speaking and Interview Skills in a Cross-Cultural Context," for American Society for Engineers from India, Ohio University.