Representing Women: Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media

(Paperback)

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This text reassesses how women are talked about and constructed visually across a range of popular media. Arguing for the importance of a historical approach, this book examines continuities and changes in dominant myths of femininity, especially in the transition from the modern to the postmodern period. The influences of feminism and consumerism on these developments are given particular attention. The book starts with an orientating chapter on the contributions of a variety of disciplines to our understanding of gender in relation to the media. Psychology, psychoanalysis, sociology, art history and cultural studies are each critically reviewed, enabling students to compare perspectives and to locate the variety of approaches they may encounter in other readings. A chapter on gender and consumerism and a detailed analysis of myths of femininity are also included. Outlining key theoretical debates in an accessible manner this book offers a wide range of examples from advertising, women's magazines, popular television programmes and mainstream film.

Reviews

an extremely useful synthesis of examinations of media images. Choice Macdonald's clarity of style will make this a useful text for undergraduate students. Professor Sheila Whiteley, Salford University

Author Bio

Myra MacDonald is Reader at the University of Stirling, UK