The term "cowboy" was closely bound to American image long before the 1990s. Rodeo claimed the image of the cowboy from the earliest contests to the latest and pledged itself to patriotism almost as early. This historical study was conducted viewing rodeo as a subculture and relating women's role in the sport in terms of both subculture and over-all American culture. Research substantiated that the cowboy remained linked to the image of America at the time the paper was researched and written. Rodeo attitudes toward cowgirls reflect the ambivalence that cowgirls and American women in general found themselves facing internally and externally. / Graduation date: 1994

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wyoming, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on August 6, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 172-183).