Browsing by Subject "feminism"

The dissertation elaborates a theoretical approximation to the subject of gender parity and democracy. The study contends that parity serves as an institutional mechanism that helps create a political space for the contestation of gender power relations (génos relations). After examining in detail the definitional borders of democracy and explicating the formation of democratic identity, grounded on Foucault’s notions of power, I analyze génos relations, as social constructions that mold the desires and beliefs of men and women. Accordingly, I explain how democracy needs to provide spaces of deliberation so as to guarantee the possibility for the political discussion of the predominant practices that distinguish male/female interaction. In the conclusion, I make a plea for the essentiality of difference when undertaking the task of analyzing the topics of democracy and gender, supporting the theoretical and practical approaches that propose to create a more democratic world by learning from heterogeneity.

This Master’s thesis studies feminist politics by exploring internal organizing practices and the principles guiding them in grassroots activism. The internal organizing practices of feminist movements have not been studied extensively; this thesis aims to fill some of that gap and underline the insights into the political ideas and desires of activists that can be gained when internal practices are analyzed. The research objectives are to shed light on the politics of internal practices, highlight the knowledge and experience generated in grassroots movements as well as analyze the political ideas and desires of feminists by focusing on their organizing practices. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with altogether twelve feminist grassroots organizers. The concept of knowledge-practices is used to highlight the perspective of activists as knowledge-producers and that knowledge is generated through embodied and lived experience. Prefigurative politics as a form of knowledge-practice is used to focus on the politics of practices and the groups as a space for experimenting with and creating the desired feminist future in the present. Feminist principles are identified and analyzed as well as how they are put to practice according to the research participants. The research shows that the feminist activists interviewed view feminism as a broad concept which entails an active strive for equality and a struggle against all forms of inequality. Additionally feminism is described as something in itself, as opposed to being only a reaction towards inequality. The study contributes with perspectives that view feminism as a particular way of being in and organizing the world in which all forms of oppression and inequalities are recognized and to be dismantled. The study finds that the activists emphasize low and transparent hierarchies over non-hierarchical organizing and that organizing should be according to the time and energy resources in a group. Despite their importance, the principles prove difficult in practice. The challenges and tensions that occur when organizing according to the discussed feminist principles become a central part of organizing as well as of this study. Diversity and inclusivity are presented as feminist principles by the research participants, but the analysis in the thesis shows that they also reproduce the power structures they are intended to dismantle. The study suggests that accessibility and safer spaces provide more practical perspective on organizing according to feminist principles. While the thesis gathers feminist practices and principles, it is also concluded that feminist practices are contextual and situated. Feminist principles are emphasized, but how organizers put the principles to practice varies according to the specific needs and desires of groups.

This thesis sets out to investigate how the ideas of what it means to be a woman and femininity are constructed and propagated through the film Raya and the Last Dragon, the latest Disney Princess film, in the form of stereotypes. Previous studies show that Disney Princess films, from The Walt Disney Company, produce effects on the behaviour and thoughts of children when it comes to gender roles. As propaganda became associated with totalitarian regimes, studies about media effects rarely coin said effects as caused by propaganda. Therefore, propaganda as a field of analysis lacks a body of literature and a consensual set of analysis rules. This thesis contributes to the establishment of propaganda as a field of analysis, by defining it under Jacques Ellul’s categorisation. The study relies on a qualitative analysis based on the propaganda analysis model proposed by Garth Jowett and Victoria O’Donnell. The empirical material consists of the film Raya and the Last Dragon, and it is available on Disney+, the streaming service of The Walt Disney Company. The findings of this thesis illuminate how the ideas of a woman and of femininity are constructed in Raya and the Last Dragon and allow to understand, against the literature review, if these constructions have changed and evolved when compared to previous Disney Princess films. The results indicate that the film presents a world where women and men are seen as equal, leading it to break previous stereotypes associated with women and femininity. By presenting a female-centric story, with independent characters who have diverse personalities and clothing, who fight and have no romantic interests, the film subverts the trope of a passive woman in a dress waiting to be rescued by a man from a powerful evil woman. Additionally, the film rotates around the relationship between Raya and Namaari, using the patriarchal trope of plotting a woman against a woman to focus on female friendship. Yet, as the filmmakers are conditioned by their positionality, some stereotypes are still oriented by patriarchal logic and a western perspective, namely the omnipresence of a patriarchal figure that guides the protagonist. In the end, besides its contributions to the field of propaganda analysis, the thesis updates the tradition of studies done on the gendered stereotypes present in the Disney Princess films.

The #MeToo campaign started on social media in 2017, empowering women who had experienced sexual harassment and- violence. From the start the campaign was criticized for the lack of intersectionality in representation. In the autumn of 2018, the leading figure of the campaign, Asia Argento, was accused of having sexual relations with 17-year-old Jimmy Bennet. The new story presented a differing narrative from the main storyline of #metoo, that eventually resulted in heated online debates where gender, power relations and sexual violence were present and debated. The campaign has inevitably shaped society, and the way we talk about sexual violence in an online setting. This thesis focuses on the narrative of Asia Argento on social media; how she is narrated in relation to her gender and categories of #metoo and sexual harassment. Thus, the purpose of this thesis is to analyze how women are viewed on social media in the post #metoo context. The theoretical framework of this thesis builds on existing literature on feminism, gender as a cultural construct, sexual violence and power relations as part of gender and feminism, social media, hate speech and how these subjects are discussed on social media in the #metoo context in which its own communicative practices apply. The main source material is provided by Rossi (2015), Daniels (2016), Kantola (2015), Kitzinger & Thomas (1995) and Meikle (2016). The qualitative study applies feminist epistemology to analyze 75 comments collected from 5 news outlets: CNN International, the New York Times, CBS News, Fox News and ABC News. The data was collected with random sampling to enable a broad demographic of commentators, that were later fully anonymized apart from their gender. The analysis was conducted using categorical-content analysis. Argento is analyzed through three themes: women, #metoo and sexual violence. The findings indicate that white women are fair game on social media, as their appearance, merits and femininity is denied. The loss of credibility of #MeToo movement is highlighted through Asia Argento, whereas the women supporting her are processed similarly as Argento. The latest case further impacts the narrative of the victims, as the status of the victim is negotiated. The findings indicate that the power relation between genders strongly impacts how the society treats women. Victim blaming, and mob-shaming are apparent, as the social media has enabled freedom of speech. The findings further indicate that social media is a patriarchal environment, that nurtures misogyny. Hence, hostility, stereotypes and generalizations are apparent, resulting in an environment where the weak are silenced and dominant voices are being emphasized. This does not only apply to women, but to men as well, as they too are being faced with belittling and emasculation. The thesis analyzes the narrative of a woman in the era in which gender and gender roles are still being defined. It takes a closer look at social media, and how women are perceived on social media in the post #metoo context.

This thesis explores the representation of female sexuality in D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Elizabeth Gilbert’s City of Girls. This work aims to compare the patriarchal image of Connie Chatterley with a more progressive image of Vivian Morris with the help of interdisciplinary feminist theory and feminist literary criticism. Lady Chatterley’s Lover is a final novel by the British writer D.H. Lawrence, written in 1928 but banned from publication until 1960 for its explicit sexual content. The novel portrays the interclass affair between Connie Chatterley and the gamekeeper Oliver Mellors and is problematic in representing gender and sexuality. Employing feminist interpretations of essentialism, theory of binary opposition, and Freud’s theory of sexuality, I analyze how the novel portrays othering of the female body, disparaging attitude toward the womb, and heterosexual power dynamic, thus making Connie an embodiment of the patriarchal vision. Gilbert’s City of Girls is a progressive literary work published in 2019 which explores the theme of female sexuality from a contemporary point of view through the narrator-protagonist Vivian Morris. Gilbert presents a refined image of female sexuality by tackling assumptions traditionally assigned to it. The novel explores feminine beauty, sexual shame, and social punishment due to female sexual expression. Gilbert portrays Vivian as a sexually transgressive heroine who eventually embraces her sexuality and accepts it as a natural part of her identity. Gilbert’s representation of female sexuality presents a feminist perspective and subverts literary tradition.

I denna pro gradu-avhandling analyserar jag en samling återberättelser av sagorna Snövit, Askungen och Törnrosa utgående från feministisk kritik av sagor. Sagorna jag analyserar i avhandlingen är återberättade av Sarah Pinborough och har döpts om till Poison (Snövit), Charm (Askungen) och Beauty (Törnrosa). De har utkommit såväl enskilt som i en samling kallad Tales from the Kingdoms. För avhandlingen har jag använt mig av samlingen, eftersom de i denna återgetts i icke-kronologisk ordning vilket är relevant för analysen. Syftet med avhandlingen är att undersöka huruvida återberättelserna tagit itu med den kritik många av de mest kända sagorna utsatts för, i synnerhet i samband med feminismens andra våg under 1970-talet, och om de således kan anses som lyckade feministiska återberättelser. Jag använder mig främst av en artikel skriven av Marcia R. Lieberman där hon kritiserar sagorna för den negativa kvinnobild de presenterar. Kvinnorna framstår oftast som passiva och en alltför stor vikt har lagts vid kvinnokaraktärernas utseende. Hon kritiserar även den maktlösa ställning kvinnor ofta har i sagorna och då de har makt och är aktiva avbildas de som elaka. Eftersom min analys baserar sig på karaktärerna i sagorna, använder jag mig också framför allt av Jonathan Culpepers teorier om karaktärer och karaktärisering inom litteraturen, särskilt om hur läsarnas tidigare kunskaper och erfarenheter påverkar karaktäriseringen. Det finns otaliga versioner av olika sagor runt om i världen, även sådana där kvinnobilden inte är så negativ. De är dock inte lika kända eller populära och det är särskilt de mest kända, däribland de ovannämnda sagorna, som kritiserats eftersom de också är mest inflytelserika. De versioner av sagorna vi känner till kommer främst från Bröderna Grimms samling och Walt Disneys filmatiseringar. I avhandlingen använder jag mig av Bröderna Grimms versioner som jämförelse och analyserar karaktärerna i de återberättade sagorna utifrån tre återkommande rolltyper: den elaka styvmodern, flickan som utsätts för hennes trakasserier samt drömprinsen som till slut räddar flickan. I min avhandling fokuserar jag främst på de kvinnliga karaktärerna men analyserar även två av de mest prominenta manliga karaktärerna, eftersom feministiska återberättelser av sagor har kritiserats för sin enformiga skildring av män. I och med att återberättelserna uppdaterar den kvinnliga karaktärens roll så att hon är mer aktiv har många återberättelser relegerat den manliga karaktären till den passiva roll som kvinnan tidigare innehaft, vilket enbart resulterar i en splittrad (fractured) återberättelse. I avhandlingen kommer jag fram till att återberättelserna tar itu med mycket av den kritik som sagorna utsatts för. Återberättelserna fokuserar dock också mycket på karaktärernas utseende och de flesta av dem beskrivs ofta som exempelvis vackra och smala, vilket främjar ett visst skönhetsideal. Trots detta kommer jag i avhandlingen fram till att återberättelserna huvudsakligen är lyckade feministiska återberättelser.

Goal. The purpose of this study is to provide a research-based insight into pupils' thoughts and experiences about gender identity and gender stereotypes. Studies have shown that it is no longer possible to simply divide children into girls and boys, and that children who do not fit into these compartments suffer in school. Gender stereotypes also have an impact on children’s success in school. To be able to create a safe school for everyone, education and research into the topic is required, which is the aim of this dissertation. Methods. The dissertation was performed as an interview study in which students in years 5 and 6 participated. All in all, 18 students participated from a Swedish-language primary school. Of these, half were 5th year students and the other half 6th year. 12 students identified themselves as girls and 6 as boys. The interview data was analyzed with thematic analysis. Results and conclusions. The students were all comfortable and happy with their gender identity, and they had a positive attitude towards children with other gender identities. Their stereotypes were based quite far on dividing the world into two, where hobbies, interests and clothes are either "boyish" or "girly". However, they had strong views on individual freedom, that everyone should be allowed to do as they wished, regardless of gender. The students had a great deal of confidence in their teachers but described strong negative feelings in case the teacher did not approve of their gender identity. However, many felt that teachers treated boys and girls differently, but that their school was still a relatively equal place where you could be yourself. The results indicate that primary school students are dependent on their teachers for the development of gender stereotypes and the creation of equality in school. If a student feels insecure with their teacher, school success and the student's well-being suffer. Teachers must be familiar with research on gender and stereotypes to counteract these preconceived notions and create a school where everyone can be themselves. Future research could investigate the impact of different types of education on both students' and teachers' gender stereotypes, as well as the development of practical methods for creating an inclusive school for everyone.

Violence against women is a deep-rooted global injustice, yet it is less often scrutinized as a category of political economy. In this research relating to human rights advocacy in Pakistan, I seek to do so. I study the ways in which local women's rights organizations attempt to hold state to account for eliminating the malice and removing its structural causes. In particular, I examine how feminist constructions of VAW and advocacy practices towards curbing it take part in the politics of development. The research is based on fieldwork which I conducted in the mid-2010's in urban Pakistan. Interviews with 17 informants representing 12 women's rights groups, NGOs and government agencies constitute the primary data. I use ethnographic lens in mapping the organizational field, yet my main deconstructive method is critical discourse analysis. The research is underpinned by post-development theory, postcolonial feminist critique, anthropology of modernity and feminist violence research. The findings consist of three discourses and two developmental logics. Each discourse explains VAW as an issue of individual infringement of rights and a question of state structures with a distinct orientation – those of gender equity, legal protection and political reform. The discourses are rooted in 'human rights developmentalism' and neoliberalism, yet they are still locally contingent in varied ways. The developmental logics of 'saviorism in solidarity' and 'commonsense hope' render visible ways in which the organizations deploy civilisation narrative and an unquestioned hope in aid's capacity to deliver 'development' as political resources. I argue that the discourses construct VAW by reference to apolitical notions of 'backwardness' not only to justify organizational advocacy practices that center upon delivering "higher awareness and morals" to the "ignorant masses". Instead, such notions contribute to building a counter discourse to the misogynous state ideology as well as an alternative political space that enables women's rights organizations persevere in Pakistan. While the discourses fail the 'beneficiaries' of aid by upholding empty developmentalist promises, they nevertheless do not exacerbate VAW. The research suggests that development ideologies, albeit contributing to global inequalities, may serve as meaningful political tools for undoing local adversities.

Women’s movements in Bolivia have long been divided into different feminist groups and organizations on the one hand, and indigenous women’s movements on the other. Indigenous women have generally considered feminism to be an urban, middle-class ideology that is not compatible with their conception of gender and does not represent them. They have preferred to be active within the indigenous movement, which stresses the idea of decolonization as key to achieving gender equality. Even with these differences, attempts have been made by different women’s movements to work together in order to have a stronger voice around gender-specific issues in the national debate. In this thesis, frame analysis is employed to examine such efforts of cooperation. The data is a report published in connection with a conference that brought together representatives from several different women’s organizations, with the goal of advancing dialogue between them. The frames that these activists use are examined in order to analyse how those frames address differences between women and what kind of frames are most successful in using differences as strength. The frames that emerge from the data are grouped into three broad categories. First, there are universalistic frames that see a common identity of women and a shared experience of oppression as a starting point for solidarity. Second, there are local frames that ground themselves in the specific struggles to find common ground between different women’s movements in the Bolivian context. These frames base the idea of solidarity on common goals and agendas. Third, there are frames that take a personal approach and present personal accounts of struggles and processes of change. These frames are able to incorporate multiple identities into a personal narrative and to treat solidarity and coming together as an ongoing and open-ended process. The frames in this data that are best able to celebrate differences as strength are certain local and personal frames that move away from broad, conceptual definitions of patriarchy and feminism and towards lived experiences and shared struggles. They focus on the process of coming together and building alliances, which opens them up to differences and to dialogue. However, a more profound analysis of power and privilege is still lacking in all these frames.