HASS Great Debate: Is Taylor Swift the most important person in the world right now?

Presented by the UQ Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Research Team as part of UQ Research and Innovation Week.

Come along to an in-person light-hearted debate about Tay Tay, popular media, and the unexpected influence of our most beloved artists.

She’s a feminist icon, the first ever human to make a billion dollars from music, she influences elections, stimulates economies wherever she tours, and her creativity is beloved by millions. Is Taylor Swift the most important person in the world right now? The affirmatives might have you believing that young women rule the world, which is as it should be; the negatives might have you believing that country pop songs should stay in their lane. It’s a showcase of humanities, arts, and social science expertise: and there’s a Blank Space where we’ll write the winning team’s name.

Please be advised, this debate will run from 2-3pm, with afternoon team provided 3-4pm.

The Teams:
Affirmative:

• Dr Maureen Engel (School of Communication and Arts)
  
• Dr Richard Murray (School of Communication and Arts)
  
• A/Professor Suzanna Fay (School of Social Science)

Negative:

• Professor Liam Viney (School of Music)
• Dr Christina Gowlett (School of Education)
• A/Professor Andrew Phillips (School of Political Science and International Studies)