UC Spark

Associate Professor Annie Potts

School of Humanities; English

Phone: +64 3 364 2987 ext. 8231
 Office: Locke Building (English) 310

Fields of Research

  • Human-Animal Studies
  • Animals and natural disasters (especially the Christchurch earthquakes)
  • Representations of animals and birds in fiction, film, TV, art and pop culture
  • The 'link' between social violence and animal abuse
  • Horror, psychological thriller and crime genres in fiction and film
  • Vegetarian subcultural identities
  • Gender, sexuality and embodiment
  • Popular music studies (particularly the music of Prince)
  • Critiques of biomedicalization
  • Critical psychology and discourse analysis
  • Critiques of sexology, therapy and psychoanalysis

Researcher Summary

Annie Potts has two key domains of research expertise, both most closely affiliated with the field of Cultural Studies.

1. Human-Animal Studies.
Annie is Co-Principal Investigator of the Marsden project "Kararehe: The Animal in Culture in Aotearoa New Zealand", & co-author (with Philip Armstrong & Deidre Brown) of A New Zealand Book of Beasts: Animals in Art, Literature & Everyday Life (Auckland University Press, 2013). Her contribution to this book includes a detailed history of companion animals in New Zealand (including traditional pets of Maori); a critical analysis of anti-possum rhetoric; and an exploration of vegetarian sub-cultural identity in this country.

Annie has also completed a book for the Reaktion Animal Series called Chicken, an illustrated natural and cultural history of Gallus gallus domesticus (pub. December 2011); and edited a special issue of the journal "Feminism and Psychology" on gender, psychology and animals (2010).  

Her current project is a book called “Animal Earthquake Stories” which involves an illustrated account of what happened to Christchurch's animals post-quakes (to be published by Canterbury University Press, 2013/14).

2. Sexuality Studies.
Annie is the author of "The Science/Fiction of Sex: Feminist Deconstruction & the Vocabularies of Heterosex" (Routledge, 2002). She was principal investigator of a Health Research Council study on the social impact of Viagra (2001-2004); & has published recently on 'vegan sexuality'.

Subject Area: Disciplines

Research Projects

Research Groups

Future Research

  • Human-animal relations in Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Animals in natural disasters: The impact of the Christchurch earthquakes on animals and human-animal relationships (book to be published by Canterbury University Press)
  • The link between social violence and animal abuse, and its representation in film, fiction and popular culture
  • Critical perspectives on meat culture and carnism (edited book for Brill's Human-Animal Studies Series)
  • Prince Rogers Nelson: a book on the impact of his music (for Icons of Pop Music Series)

Key Methodologies

  • Discourse analysis
  • Cultural Studies methodologies
  • Qualitative methodologies
  • Textual and narrative analysis

Affiliations

Prizes and Awards

  • Humane Society of the United States Established Course Award, 2008 for "From Bambi to Kong: Animals in American Popular Culture" (2008)

Research Service

  • Invited Affiliate, Human-Animal Research Network, Sydney University (2012-present)
  • Appointed to National Animal Welfare in Emergencies Management Group (NAWEM). This group, comprising reps from SPCA, NZVA, MAF, WSPA etc, has been set up to advise government on best practice re animal rescues post-disasters. My appointment stems from my research on animal welfare post Chch's quake. (2011-present)
  • Conference Organizer, 'Cultural Animals'. A conference hosted by the New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies in September 2011. This conference showcased research completed by six members of the New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies, and was also attended by a keynote presenter from Aust. (2011)
  • First Strike network (2009-present)
  • Elected Academic Representative, Canterbury University Human Ethics Committee (2012-present)
  • Member, College of Arts Marsden Mentoring Group (2010-present)
  • Invited Member of 'Minding Animals International' (MAI) Academic Advisory Committee. MAI acts as a bridge between academia and advocacy and is a network of more than 2,500 academics, artists and advocates, dedicated to the study and protection of all planetary life. (2009-present)
  • Member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the journal Humanimalia (2008-present)
  • Member, Humanities Research Committee and College of Arts Research Committee (University of Canterbury) (2008-present)
  • Director, New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies (2007-present)
  • Member of Review Board, Journal for Critical Animal Studies (2007-present)
  • Member, Senior Academic Board: Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture (2007-present)

Publications


  • Potts, A. (2012) Foreword. In Urban Chicks: Celebrating Backyard Chooks in the City: 5-6. Auckland: Renaissance. (Other)
  • Potts, A. (2012) From Alectromancy to McNuggets: An Illustrated Cultural History of the Chicken. Sydney University: Animal Death, 12-13 Jun 2012. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A.K. (2012) From reverence to ruination: Representations of Chickens and Poultry Farming in Contemporary and Activist Art. Milwaukee, WI, USA: Nonhuman: Conference of the Society for Literature, Science and the Arts (SLSA), 27-30 Sep 2012. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2012) The Joy of Chickens. In DeMello, M. (Ed.), Animals and Society: An Introduction to Human-Animal Studies: 56-59. New York: Columbia University Press. (Chapter in Book)
  • Potts, A. (2011) Chicken. London: Reaktion Books. 216pp. (Authored Book)
  • Potts, A. (2011) Gallus Graphicus: Representations of Chickens in Contemporary and Activist Art. Christchurch, New Zealand: Cultural Animals: A 'Minding Animals' International Pre-Conference Event, 27 Sep 2011. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2011) With Respect to Chickens. Auckland, New Zealand: 22nd New Zealand Companion Animal Council Conference (NZCAC), 31 Oct-1 Nov 2011. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (Ed.) (2010) Feminism & Psychology, 20(3). Special Issue: Feminism, Psychology and Nonhuman Animals. London: Sage. 136pp. (Edited Book)
  • Potts, A. and Armstrong, P. (2010) Hybrid Vigor: Interbreeding Cultural Studies and Human-Animal Studies. In M. De Mello (Ed.), Teaching the Animal: Human-Animal Studies across the Disciplines: 3-17. New York: Lantern. (Chapter in Book)
  • Potts, A. (2010) The New Zealand Devil. Christchurch, New Zealand: New Zealand Geographical Society Conference 2010 (NZGS), 5-8 Jul 2010. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Adams, C. and Potts, A. (2010) The politics of Carol J. Adams. Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture 14(Autumn 2010): 12-24. (Journal Article)
  • Potts, A. and Parry, J. (2010) Vegan Sexuality: Challenging Heteronormative Masculinity through Meat-free Sex. Auckland, New Zealand: Sexualities Against the Grain: A One-Day Symposium, 19 Feb 2010. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. and Parry, J. (2010) Vegan sexuality: Challenging heteronormative masculinity through meat-free sex. Feminism & Psychology 20(1): 53-72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959353509351181. (Journal Article)
  • Potts, A. (2009) Kiwis against possums: A critical analysis of anti-possum rhetoric in New Zealand. Newcastle, Australia: The 2009 International Academic & Community Conference on Animals & Society: Minding Animals, 13-19 Jul 2009. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. and Armstrong, P. (2009) The New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies. Newcastle, Australia: The 2009 International Academic & Community Conference on Animals & Society: Minding Animals, 13-19 Jul 2009. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2009) Using popular culture to promote learning in Human-Animal Studies. Newcastle, Australia: The 2009 International Academic & Community Conference on Animals & Society: Minding Animals, 13-19 Jul 2009. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2008) The embodiment of animality. Wellington, New Zealand: Society of Australasian Social Psychologists (SASP 2008), 27-30 Mar 2008. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A., Armstrong, P. and Brown, D. (2007) Introducing 'Human-Animal Studies': New interdisciplinary scholarship in Aotearoa New Zealand. Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand: Transformations 2007, 27-28 Aug 2007. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2007) Kiwis against possums: Representations of 'homegrown heroes' and 'feral felons' in Aotearoa. Toronto, Canada: Nature Matters Conference 2007, 25-28 Oct 2007. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2007) Non-consuming animals: Vegetarian perspectives in Aotearoa New Zealand. Hobart, Australia: Animals and Society II: Considering Animals, 3-6 Jul 2007. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Vares, T., Potts, A., Gavey, N. and Grace, V.M. (2007) Reconceptualizing cultural narratives of mature women's sexuality in the Viagra era. Journal of Aging Studies 21(2): 153-164. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2006.08.002. (Journal Article)
  • Potts, A. (2007) Sex and the Slayer: A Gender Studies Primer for the Buffy Fan, by Lorna Jowett. Feminism & Psychology 17(3) Book Review. (Other)
  • Potts, A. (2007) The 'Female Sexual Dysfunction' debate: Different 'problems', new drugs - more pressures? In P. Moss and K. Teghtsoonian (Ed.), Contesting Illness: Processes and Practices: 259-280. Toronto: Toronto University Press. (Chapter in Book)
  • Potts, A. (2007) The mark of the beast: Inscribing animality through extreme body modification. In L. Simmons and P. Armstrong (Ed.), Knowing Animals: 131-154. Leiden: Brill. (Chapter in Book)
  • Potts, A. (2007) Totem transformations in 'Animal Tragic'. Portland, ME, USA: 21st Annual Conference of the Society for Literature, Science and the Arts (SLSA'07), 1-4 Nov 2007. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2006) Embodiment. In Encyclopedia of Social Theory: 164-166. London: Routledge. Encyclopedia Entry. (Other)
  • Potts, A. (2006) Eroticism. In Encyclopedia of Social Theory: 174. London: Routledge. Encyclopedia Entry. (Other)
  • Potts, A. (2006) Phallocentrism. In Encyclopedia of Social Theory: 427. London: Routledge. Encyclopedia Entry. (Other)
  • Potts, A., Grace, V.M., Vares, T. and Gavey, N. (2006) 'Sex for life'? Men's counter-stories on 'erectile dysfunction', male sexuality and ageing. Sociology of Health and Illness 28(3): 306-329. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2006.00494.x. (Journal Article)
  • Potts, A. and Tiefer, L. (Ed.) (2006) Sexualities, 9(3). Special Issue: Viagra Culture. London: Sage Publications. 116pp. (Edited Book)
  • Potts, A. (2006) Sexuality. In Encyclopedia of Social Theory: 545-547. London: Routledge. Encyclopedia Entry. (Other)
  • Potts, A. (2006) Surpassing natural sex the Viagra way. National Centre in HIV Social Research, UNSW, Sydney, Australia: Substitution, Enhancement, Autonomy Workshop, 19 Apr 2006. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2006) The new brute fashion: Embodying the animal. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA: Kindred Spirits, 7-9 Sep 2006. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2006) The rise of Viagra: How the little blue pill changed sex in America, by Meika Lee. In Men & Masculinities 9(1): 110-112. Book Review. (Other)
  • Potts, A. (2005) The 'Female Sexual Dysfunction' debate: Different 'problems', more drugs, new pressures (invited presentation). University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: Illness and the Contours of Contestation: Diagnosis, Experience, Policy, 11-12 Nov 2005. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2005) The mark of the beast: Inscribing animality through extreme body modification. Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia: Body Modification, Mark II, 21-23 Apr 2005. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2005) Viagra down under: Researching the New Zealand experience (invited keynote presentation). Montreal, Canada: Women and the New Sexual Politics: Profits versus Pleasures, 8-10 Jul 2005. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Vares, T., Gavey, N., Potts, A. and Grace, V. (2004) "Improves with Age": Women's Accounts of Sexuality and Sexual Changes in Mid to Later Life. Christchurch: Expanding Horizons: New Zealand Gerontology Association Conference, Apr 2004. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A., Grace, V., Gavey, N. and Vares, T. (2004) Challenging the 'quick fix' approach to erectile dysfunction. Christchurch, New Zealand: Scientific Conference of the Australasian Society for Behavioural Health and Medicine, 12-14 Feb 2004. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2004) Chemical men: Viagra and masculinity. Auckland: Society of Australasian Social Psychologists Annual Conference, Apr 15-18. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Weatherall, A., Potts, A. and Gavey, N. (2004) Feminist scholarship from 'down under' on sexuality, gender and embodiment.. In Potts, A., Gavey, N., & Weatherall, A. (Ed.), Sex and the Body: 7-16. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press/Thomson Learning. (Chapter in Book)
  • Potts, A., Vares, T., Grace, V. M. and Gavey, N. (2004) New Zealand men's experiences of changes in sexuality associated with ageing. Christchurch: Expanding Horizons: The Art and Science of Ageing (New Zealand Association of Gerontology Conference), Apr 2004. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Armstrong, P. and Potts, A. (2004) Serving the wild. In A. Smith and L. Wevers (Ed.), On Display: New Essays in Cultural Studies: 15-40. Wellington: Victoria University Press. (Chapter in Book)
  • Potts, A., Gavey, N. and Weatherall, A. (Ed.) (2004) Sex and the Body. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press. 247. (Edited Book)
  • Potts, A. (2004) Viagra. In J. Eadie (Ed.), Sexuality: The Essential Glossary: 239-40. London & New York: Arnold. (Chapter in Book)
  • Potts, A. (2004) Viagra and the new retro sex (Keynote Presentation). Centre for Research on Social Inclusion, Sydney, Australia: Mobile Worlds, Rigid Boundaries Conference Centre for Research on Social Inclusion, 27-28 Sep 2004. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2004) Viagra cyborgs: Creating 'better manhood through chemistry'. In A. Potts, N. Gavey, and A. Weatherall (Ed.), Sex and the Body: 221-238. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press. (Chapter in Book)
  • Potts, A. (2004) Viagraborgs and the new virile reality. Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada: International Interdisciplinary Conference on Gender, Sexuality and Health, 10-13 Jun 2004. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2003) Deleuze on Viagra: Molar medicine or molecular madness? Macquarie University, Sydney: Body Modification Conference: Changing Bodies, Changing Selves, 24-26 Apr 2003. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Vares, T., Potts, A., Gavey, N. and Grace, V.M. (2003) Hard sell, soft sell: Men read Viagra ads. Media International Australia incorporating Culture and Policy 2003(108): 101-114. (Journal Article)
  • Potts, A., Vares, T., Grace, V.M. and Gavey, N. (2003) On the other end of Viagra: Women's experiences and concerns. Christchurch, New Zealand: Australasian Sexual Health Conference, 4-7 Jun 2003. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2003) Respecting diversity. A response to the debate on female sexual dysfunction. British Medical Journal 326(7390): 658-659. Invited commentary. (Other)
  • Potts, A. (2003) Sex for life? Critical perspectives on 'Viagra culture' (Panel leader & presenter). Christchurch: Cultural Studies of Australasia Annual Conference: Culture Incorporated - Bodies, Technologies, Habitats, 6-8 Dec 2003. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A., Vares, T., Grace, V. and Gavey, N. (2003) The downside of Viagra: Women's experiences and concerns about Viagra use by men. Honolulu: International Conference of Social Sciences, 13-16 Jun 2003. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Gavey, N., Potts, A., Grace, V. and Vares, T. (2003) The other 'Viagra Story': Relationship difficulties following Viagra use by men. Perth, Australia: 3rd Murdoch Symposium on Talk-in-Interaction, 15-17 Dec 2003. http://wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/aiem/th/program2.html. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2003) Viagra cyborgs: Creating better manhood through chemistry. (invited presentation). London School of Economics, London: Vital Politics: Health, Medicine and Bio-economics into the 21st Century, 5-7 Sep 2005. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Grace, V.M., Potts, A., Gavey, N. and Vares, T. (2003) Viagra stories: NZ men and women challenge ideas about sexual dysfunction. London: British Psychology Society Annual Conference, 10-12 Sep 2003. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A., Vares, T., Grace, V. and Gavey, N. (2003) Women and Viagra. Christchurch: Australasian Sexual Health Physicians Conference, Jun 2003. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2002) Homebodies: Images of 'inner space' and domesticity in women's talk on sex. Journal of Mundane Behaviour 3(1): 35-56. (Journal Article)
  • Potts, A. (2002) New Zealanders' experiences of erectile difficulties and Viagra use. The New Zealand Venereological Society Bulletin 42(October) (Journal Article)
  • Vares, T., Potts, A., Grace, V. and Gavey, N. (2002) On the other end of Viagra: Partners' experiences and concerns. Christchurch, New Zealand: Social Science in the 21st Century: Sociological Association of Aotearoa (NZ) Conference, 5-7 Dec 2002. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Weatherall, A., Gavey, N. and Potts, A. (2002) So whose words are they anyway? Feminism & Psychology 12(4): 533-541. (Journal Article)
  • Potts, A. (2002) The man with two brains: The discursive construction of the unreasonable penis-self. In H. Worth, A. Paris & L. Allen (Ed.), The Life of Brian: Masculinities, Sexualities, Health: 105-115. Dunedin: University of Otago Press. (Chapter in Book)
  • Potts, A. (2002) The Science/Fiction of Sex: Feminist Deconstruction and the Vocabularies of Heterosex. (Women and Psychology Series ed.). New York and London: Routledge. 292 p. (Authored Book)
  • Potts, A., Gavey, N. and Grace, V.M. (2001) New Zealand research on the social impact of sildenafil (Viagra). Venereology: The International Interdisciplinary Journal of Sexual Health 14(4): 189-190. (Journal Article)
  • Potts, A. (2001) The Body without Orgasm: Becoming erotic with Deleuze and Guattari. International Journal of Critical Psychology 1(3): 140-164. (Journal Article)
  • Potts, A. (2001) The day the earth stood still: Deconstructing orgasm. University of Melbourne: Third Conference of the International Association of the Study of Sex, Culture and Society, 1-3 Oct 2001. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2001) The man with two brains: Hegemonic masculine subjectivity and the discursive construction of the unreasonable penis-self. Journal of Gender Studies 10(2): 145-156. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09589230120053274. (Journal Article)
  • Potts, A. (2001) War of the worlds: Male and female desire in popular sexology. University of Melbourne: Third Conference of the International Association of the Study of Sex, Culture and Society, 1-3 Oct 2001. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2001) Women and popular sexology. Christchurch: Women's Studies Conference, Jun 2001. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2000) Coming, coming, gone: A feminist deconstruction of heterosexual orgasm. Sexualities 3(1): 55-76. (Journal Article)
  • Potts, A. (2000) Researching Viagra. Palmerston North: New Zealand Venereological Society Conference, Oct 2000. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2000) 'The Essence of the Hard On': Hegemonic Masculinity and the Cultural Construction of 'Erectile Dysfunction'. Men and Masculinities 3(1): 85-103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1097184X00003001004. (Journal Article)
  • Potts, A. (2000) The man with two brains: Hegemonic masculinity and the discursive construction of the unreasonable penis-self. University of Auckland: Masculinities, July 2000. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (2000) The science/fiction of sex: A feminist deconstruction of the vocabularies of heterosex. PhD, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. (Thesis - Doctor of Philosophy)
  • Potts, A. (1999) Coming, coming, gone: A feminist deconstruction of the metaphysics of orgasm. Sydney, Australia: Millennium Conference in Critical Psychology, Apr 1999. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (1999) Critiquing popular sexology. Christchurch: New Zealand Venereological Society Conference, Oct 1999. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. plus 10 other participants. (1999) So whose words are they anyway? Roundtable discussion. Sydney: Millennium Conference in Critical Psychology, Apr 1999. (Conference Contribution - Other)
  • Potts, A. (1998) The science/fiction of sex: John Gray's 'Mars and Venus in the Bedroom'. Christchurch: Society of Australasian Social Psychologists, Apr 1998. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Potts, A. (1998) The science/fiction of sex: John Gray's 'Mars and Venus in the Bedroom'. Sexualities 1(2): 153-173. (Journal Article)
  • McAllister, J., Potts, A., Mason, K. and Marchant, G. (1994) Word duration in monologue and dialogue speech. Language & Speech 37(4): 393-405.. (Journal Article)