When Jill Peterfeso, Guilford’s Eli Franklin Craven and Minnie Phipps Craven Professor of Religious Studies, initially dreamed up a First-Year Seminar about all things Disney, she knew it would turn a few ears – heads, too.
“People hear ‘Disney class’ and think it’s just for fun,” she says. “But it’s actually a rigorous introduction to the liberal arts.”
That seminar – an invitation to question everything from theme-park rides to messages in films to corporate strategy – became the seed for Peterfeso’s new edited volume, Why the Magic Matters: Discovering Disney as a Laboratory for Learning. The book, co-edited with Elon University professor Alexis T. Franzese, gathers essays from professors across the country who use Disney as a springboard for serious analysis.
“The premise,” Jill explains, “is that Disney is everywhere — film, TV, streaming, sports, ESPN, and is even on our clothing. If something is this embedded in our culture, it’s worth studying. What does it mean? How does it shape us?”
The book brings together a wide range of voices, from a Business professor exploring Disney’s marketing strategies to a data scientist who uses Disney data in teaching her students. There’s a chapter by a film historian revealing Walt Disney as one of the 20th century’s first environmentalists,and one by an Asian studies professor talking about Disney’s Asian parks compared to other theme parks in Asia.
Finding that range of disciplines was key, says Jill, who thinks the book reflects that variety. “We have chapters based in disability studies, Indigenous studies, media studies, religious studies, sociology and psychology, business and marketing, data science, history, leadership studies … the goal really was to have as broad a range as possible,” she says.
“In (First Year Seminar) we model the kind of questioning students will practice throughout their time at Guilford,” she says. “Analyzing Disney asks them to look beneath the familiar and see the deeper cultural forces at work.”
The class also reflects Guilford’s broader ethos: small, discussion-driven, and unafraid to probe the unexpected. In addition to teaching her Disney first -year seminar,, Jill has taught study-away classes that include trips to Walt Disney World in Florida. “I keep our excursions as affordable as possible,” she says. “It’s not about chasing pixie dust; it’s about sharpening minds.”
Her own fascination with Disney began in childhood, when a family trip to Walt Disney World opened her eyes to a place “designed to make people happy.” That early wonder soon met adult curiosity. “When I love something, I think about it critically,” she says. “Disney is a mirror of American innovation, nostalgia, and complexity. Studying it helps us understand ourselves.”
Why the Magic Matters aims for the same accessibility. Though grounded in scholarship, the book invites general readers to follow along, whether or not they’ve ever set foot in a Disney park. “We wrote it for undergraduates and anyone intrigued by how culture works,” Jill says.
For Guilford, the project showcases the power of a liberal arts education to turn everyday phenomena into profound learning. “Disney may feel like background noise,” Jill says. “But when students learn to question what seems unquestionable, that’s where the magic – and the education – really happens.”
Professors like Jill – creative, curious, and committed to opening minds – are what make us Uniquely Guilford. To learn more about how Guilford’s faculty and programs spark discovery, contact Steve Mencarini.