In this dissertation it is indicated that gender is a social construct, while sex is biologically determined. The concept of gender refers to that which is understood within a certain society to define masculinity and femininity, the power struggle between the two sexes, as well as the social limitations which are placed on people's behaviour as a result of gender. Children's and young adult's literature exert a great influence on the youth's idea of gender roles. The social and cultural history of South African society is used in this study to explore stereotypical gender roles in Afrikaans youth literature. The role of a patriarchal society, homosexuality, and changing perceptions of gender roles are investigated. It is indicated that in both English and Afrikaans children's and young adult's literature the portrayal of gender roles is often unrealistic, stereotypical, and contains sexist language. Two novels namely, Gooi horn in die slool (1971) and Skilpoppe (1998), are analysed using the following categories: male or female author, representation of gender roles, and use of sexist language. The teaching implications of the findings for the second language learner are then articulated. OPSOMMING In hierdie skripsie is aangetoon dat geslaglelikheid ("gender"), anders as geslag wat biologies bepaal is, 'n sosiale konstruk is. Geslagtelikheid hou verband met wat in 'n bepaalde samelewing onder manlikheid en vroulikheid verstaan word, asook met magsverhoudings tussen die twee geslagte en sosiale beperkings wat op grond van geslagtelikheid op mense se gedrag geplaas word. Jeugliteratuur oefen 'n groot invloed uit op jeugdiges se siening van geslagtelikheid. Die sosiale en kultuur-historiese agtergrond in die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing word in die studie gebruik om die uitbeelding van geslagtelikheid in die Afrikaanse jeugliteratuur te problematiseer. Die rol van 'n patriargale samelewing, homoseksualiteit en veranderde sienings oor geslagtelikheidsrolle word onder andere uitgelig. Daar word aangetoon dat die uitbeelding van geslagtelikheid in sowel Engelse as Afrikaanse jeugliteratuur dikwels baie onrealisties is en wemel van stereotiperings en seksistiese taalgebruik. Twee jeugverhale, naamlik Gooi ham in die slool (1971) en Skilpoppe (1998), word aan die hand van 'n aantal kategoriee, naamlik outeur, uitbeelding van geslagtelikheid en seksistiese taalgebruik geanaliseer, voordat onderrigimplikasies vir die tweedetaalklaskamer aangedui word. / Thesis (M.A.) - University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

This thesis examines shojo manga (Japanese comics for girls) as a site of the subversion of gender. The focus will be on stories about cross-dressing, as the crossdressed heroine poses from the outset questions about the nature of girls within shojo manga and the girls who are supposedly reading the texts. The analysis takes place at two levels: visual language and narrative. Over the course of five chapters, focusing on a couple of series in each, this thesis will show the various ways categories of gender and sex are undermined in five different subgenres. Yet gender norms are recuperated in the end. The manga always return to the figure of the shojo , the ambiguously gendered "not-quite-female" female that must expire at adulthood and the regulatory function heterosexuality plays in this inevitable demise. Nevertheless shojo manga readers need not necessarily share this end. The various ways that the reader is positioned both visually and narratively suggests that her gender and sexuality remains ambiguous and indefinable.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Victoria University (Melbourne, Vic.), 2008.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Rhode Island, 2008. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 161-168).

Thesis (doctoral)--Université Michel de Montaigne - Bordeaux III, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 367-382).

Thesis (doctoral)--Rijksuniversiteit te Leiden, 1996. / Text in English and Kikuyu with English translation, summary in Dutch. Includes bibliographical references (p. [288]-308) and index.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2004. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 265-272). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (M.A.)--Acadia University, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-111). Also available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (MA (English))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation provides a reading of the fantasy novel series Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling and The Belgariad by David Eddings. In particular this dissertation endeavours to recuperate a literary critical methodology rooted in Myth Criticism. Further, it seeks to demonstrate the continued relevance and necessity of this form of criticism in our postmodern era and to refute some of the commonplaces of postmodern critical theory, specifically the poststructuralist scepticism towards the idea of universal truth and individual agency. Using Jungian theory, myth critics ranging from Laurence Coupe to Joseph Campbell and incorporating various postmodern theorists, like the contemporary Marxist theorist Terry Eagleton, and fantasy critics like Brian Attebery and Ursula LeGuin, this dissertation aims to give a well-rounded analysis of the merits of looking at fantasy as a legitimate field of literary study. Moreover, this dissertation seeks to illustrate the fact that fantasy is capable of informing readers’ interaction with the ‘real’ world and that this genre allows for insight into identity formation in present day reality. The chief structure used to explore these claims is an analysis of the Hero’s Journey. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: This dissertation provides a reading of the fantasy novel series Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling and The Belgariad by David Eddings. In particular this dissertation endeavours to recuperate a literary critical methodology rooted in Myth Criticism. Further, it seeks to demonstrate the continued relevance and necessity of this form of criticism in our postmodern era and to refute some of the commonplaces of postmodern critical theory, specifically the poststructuralist scepticism towards the idea of universal truth and individual agency. Using Jungian theory, myth critics ranging from Laurence Coupe to Joseph Campbell and incorporating various postmodern theorists, like the contemporary Marxist theorist Terry Eagleton, and fantasy critics like Brian Attebery and Ursula LeGuin, this dissertation aims to give a well-rounded analysis of the merits of looking at fantasy as a legitimate field of literary study. Moreover, this dissertation seeks to illustrate the fact that fantasy is capable of informing readers’ interaction with the ‘real’ world and that this genre allows for insight into identity formation in present day reality. The chief structure used to explore these claims is an analysis of the Hero’s Journey.

This study explores the interaction between feminist science fiction and feminist theory, focusing on the body and embodiment. Specifically, it aims to demonstrate that feminist science fiction novels of the 1990s offer an excellent platform for exploring the critical theories of the body put forward by Judith Butler in particular, and other feminist/queer theorists in general. The thesis opens with a brief history of science fiction's depiction of the body and feminist science fiction's subversions and rewritings of this, as well as an overview of Judith Butler's theories relating to the body and embodiment. It then considers a wide range of feminist science fiction novels from the 1990s, focusing on four key areas; bodies materialised outside patriarchal systems in women-only or women-ruled worlds, alien bodies, cyborg bodies and bodies in cyberspace. An in-depth analysis of the selected texts reveals that they have important contributions to make to the consideration of bodies as they develop and expand the issues raised by theorists such as Butler, Elisabeth Grosz, Luce Irigaray and Julia Kristeva.