Transparent Isn’t So Transparent: What the Hit Show Reveals About Rigid Social Structures

The Amazon hit show Transparent has been critiqued for focusing too little on the transition experience the show’s ostensible protagonist Maura. In this Olio, we will analyze the show in light of a lesser-known hidden gem of social theory that I believe helps explain the show’s neglect of her character in favor of extensive portraits of her family.

We will question the extent to which the show’s architecture shares similarities with the controversial Milgram experiment, and we will discuss how this theory may aid us in better understanding society more broadly.

Teacher: Maureen Matarese

Maureen T. Matarese is a professor at BMCC. She has a doctorate from Columbia University and is a linguist with a specialization in discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, and applied linguistics. She is the U.S. expert on social work interaction (particularly in homeless settings) and the discourse of street-level bureaucrats.

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