Since the advent of the women's movement, the mass media and literary classics have become targets for intensive scrutiny by some feminists who are concerned with the role and influence the media and literature play in promoting a gendered society. This thesis, focuses mainly on representations of Indonesian women as presented by the Jakarta-based women's magazine, femina. By analysing six articles that appeared in the magazine from the 1970s to the 1990s, representations of gender relationships have been highlighted. Shaped dominantly by Islamic beliefs, and the Javanese values, which consist of a syncretic blend of Animist, Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic beliefs, contemporary Indonesian society is dominated by a strong political state and patriarchal value system which downgrades women. Resulting from the political changes introduced by the New Order, there has been a pivotal transformation of Indonesian women's organisations. The regime strongly encourages wives' organisations, despite the full equality guaranteed to men and women by the 1945 Constitution. It is demanded of Indonesian women that their foremost duties are their motherly and wifely roles. The influence of the priyayi, the Javanese elite, who believe that woman's destiny is primarily centred on her role as wife and mother, is partially responsible for the continuing influence of this ideal and the way it subordinates women to men. The religious traditions are also not without considerable influence in this area. These values can be found in the articles examined. Further, the thesis investigates attitudes to women who work outside the home, the double burden that they carry, and any changes in the representations of women and gender relations over the twenty years as revealed infemina.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 524-538).

Thesis (Ph.D) -- University of Western Sydney, 2008. / A thesis submitted to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Social Sciences, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, November, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Central Florida, 2008. / Adviser: James Campbell. Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-200).

Thesis (M.A.) in English--University of Maine, 2004. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-77).

Reality television programming chronicling the daily workings of multiple birth families within American culture has gained notoriety in recent years. Such programs, especially Discovery Health and TLC's 17, 18 Kids and Counting and TLC's Jon and Kate Plus Ei8ht, film, edit and broadcast the "everyday" life of these families. This research study focuses attention on hegemonic ideologies surrounding family values, motherhood, gender roles and religious faith, illuminated through textual and audience analysis. Working from an interdisciplinary approach combining feminist media and cultural studies, this study finds that hegemonic notions of family values, gender representations, religious faith and conceptions of motherhood are evident to varying degrees in the television texts and accepted by fans who negotiate their meanings online. / by Emily M. CIttadino. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

This thesis employs a star study of Meryl Streep, incorporating pertinent feminist, reception and culture-studies theories, to investigate biases within the Hollywood film industry. The actress has enjoyed a resurgence as a leading lady at age 61. Streep's star persona, acting prowess and career arc are examined across three theoretical platforms - production of culture, textual analysis, and audience analysis - or clues as to why she has been singled out among her peers. This thesis posits that Streep's unique star image and surge in popularity have helped her break out of hegemonic articulations of gender and aging that privilege youthful beauty, putting female stars at a disadvantage within the capitalistic film industry. Also considered is the cultural significance of Streep's late-life success: Does she represent new openings for older actresses (and concomitantly, an increase in film representations of aging women), or is she merely an anomaly within the entrenched patriarchal system? / by Tracy Allerton. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

This study attempts to address a gap in existing subcultural research. While there has been extensive work done on the experiences of men in subcultural groupings, the examination of women's experiences is sadly lacking. Using a combination of participant observation and ethnographic interviewing, this study looks at the role women play in the local rock music scene. Some interesting themes emerge that challenge existing notions that women are either marginal or absent from subcultural activity. Women in the scene occupy a richly contradictory social position. While they exercise an impressive degree of sexual and financial autonomy, as illustrated by their initiation of relationships and breadwinner roles in partnerships with male musicians, they also adopt many goals and behaviors typically associated with mainstream constructions of proper femininty. Women in the rock scene are seldom performers, instead they are concentrated i n the role of the "nurturent caretaker" (Cole 1993: 89/90) allowing the male musicians to retain recognition, prestige and power in the scene. This construction of the male role as central reflects the acceptance of patriarchal ideology in the scene and obscures the contribution of women to the material maintenance of the subculture. Women's roles in the scene can be characterized as a simultaneous acceptance and rejection of mainstream prescriptions for feminine behavior. While women in the rock scene are undeniably the focus of much sexual objectification and exploitation, they cannot be viewed as either passive or dependent. Women are described by scene members as sexually powerful decision makers, and although women's power is cast in disappointingly sexual terms, it is the active nature of this sexuality that leads me to describe women not as "passive" sexual objects, but rather as "active" sexual objects. Women's experiences in the rock scene are inextricably linked to heterosexual relations with male musicians. While rock women focus on the same goals of marriage and motherhood as mainstream women, their relationships are characterized by complications imposed by the rock lifestyle. According female participants, the overt sexuality of the scene, lack of financial stability , and the consuming nature of the music business combine to challenge the maintenance of a healthy relationship with a musician. However, while women's willingness to deal with such obstacles is puzzling, it can be seen as determination to transcend traditional limitations on masculine and feminine roles. The rock scene, despite its disproportionate consequences for women, offers both women and men alternatives to mainstream constructions of masculinity and femininity. The scene is identified by both female and male participants as offering excitement, spontaneity and passion absent in mainstream society.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1986. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-154). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.