Forensic Science In Contemporary American Popular Culture: Gender, Crime, And Science (routledge Research In Cultural And Media Studies)

This book identifies, traces, and interrogates contemporary American culture's fascination with forensic science. It looks to the many different sites, genres, and media where the forensic has become a cultural commonplace. It turns firstly to the most visible spaces where forensic science has captured the collective imagination: crime films and television programs. In contemporary screen culture, crime is increasingly framed as an area of scientific inquiry and, even more frequently, as an area of concern for female experts. One of the central concerns of this book is the gendered nature of expert scientific knowledge, as embodied by the ubiquitous character of the female investigator. Steenberg argues that our fascination with the forensic depends on our equal fascination with (and suspicion of) women's bodies—with the bodies of the women investigating and with the bodies of the mostly female victims under investigation. Cover......Page 1 Forensic Science in Contemporary American Popular Culture: Gender, Crime, and Science......Page 6 Copyright......Page 7 Contents......Page 10 Figures and Tables......Page 12 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Introduction: The Forensic Turn in American Culture......Page 16 Part I The Forensic Sub-Genre......Page 36 1 Retrofit Forensics: Excavating the Mythic Origins of Forensic Science......Page 38 2 The Forensic Women’s Gothic: Postfeminism and Expertise......Page 65 3 Forensic Archaeologies on Crime Television: Science and Gender as Seen on TV......Page 89 Part II Forensics Beyond the Crime Genre......Page 114 4 The CSI Effect......Page 116 5 Forensics at the Museum......Page 140 6 Forensic Science and Lifestyle......Page 164 Conclusion: The Evidence Lies......Page 189 Notes......Page 198 Filmography......Page 202 References......Page 210 Index......Page 226 Retrofit Forensics: Excavating The Mythic Origins Of Forensic Science -- The Forensic Women's Gothic: The Postfeminism And Expertise -- Forensic Archaeologies On Crime Television: Science And Gender As Seen On Tv -- The Csi Effect -- Forensic Science At The Museum -- Forensic Science And Lifestyle -- Conclusion: The Evidence Lies. By Lindsay Steenberg. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This book identifies, traces, and interrogates contemporary American culture's seemingly endless fascination with forensic science. Steenberg looks specifically at the gendered nature of expert scientific knowledge, as embodied by the ubiquitous character of the female investigator. This work identifies, traces and interrogates contemporary American culture's seemingly endless fascination with forensic science. It looks to the many different sites, genres and media where the forensic has become a cultural commonplace