Yuko Eguchi, a doctoral candidate in ethnomusicology, received an Outstanding Paper Award at Pitt’s 2010 Grad Expo for her presentation, "The Art of the Geisha: Constructing Feminine Identity and Social Class." The paper is part of Eguchi’s dissertation research that she expects to defend in April of 2011. In her paper, Eguchi focuses on geishas' music and dance and shows how geisha arts deal not only with women’s feelings of sensuality and femininity, but also of powerless in a male-dominated society. She argues that the geisha song form kouta enabled geisha to “distinguish themselves as desirable women among higher class men” and ultimately to “construct their identities and raise their social status.”

Congratulations to Yuko and to all the Department’s grad students who participated in the 2010 Grad Expo at Pitt!