The subject of this thesis is the depiction of Chinese women warriors in the cinemas of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mainland China since 1980. Women warriors have been a popular feature of Western media since the 1970s influenced by the second wave women's movement, and have become a significant topic of academic study. However, Chinese women warriors are combined with and referred to as 'Asian' women without consideration of their cultural differences. Furthermore, although representations of women warriors in the cinemas of Hong Kong, Mainland China and Taiwan may share some similarities, they also exhibit different regional features. This thesis attempts to reveal regional differences in the representations of women warriors in Chinese language films and their sociocultural contexts since 1980. An important goal of such research is to contribute to the study of the 'woman warrior' phenomenon in Chinese cinemas, in the hope that it will arouse interest in the field. This thesis also aims to focus attention on the changing status of Chinese women in different communities. Since gender is a global issue, it is hoped that the feminist perspective adopted here will stimulate interest among film specialists, not only in Chinese women in films, but also in the broader field of gender studies.

Abstract Presently there are few studies that describe the current experiences of women warriors relative to issues such as sexual hostility, sexual harassment, and other uncommon experiences during their military careers. Very little is known about how being a woman in a male-dominated military may affect women warriors' choices between making the military a career or returning to civilian life. With better understanding of women warriors' military experiences, mental health professionals, educators, and other human services professionals may have a better understanding of the issues that may affect women in the military. To date there are limited studies that have examined the effects of military experiences on the psychological and emotional well-being of women warriors. Whether its effects are positive, negative, contextual, or permanent is not yet known. This study supports the earlier research regarding the needs and unknown needs of women programs and the training of counselors and helping professionals. With the United States Military being one of the largest special populations, and women warriors making up 15% of that population, it is imperative that appropriate training becomes available for counselors, educators, and other helping professionals.

A combination of cross-cultural and symbolic methodologies suggests that women warriors occur in societies where there is both an emphasis on the sacred feminine that allows women greater access to positions of power and authority (as per Peggy Sanday) and where marital residency rules permit female fighters (following David B. Adams´s theory on women warriors). While neither theory can stand alone in explaining the existence of women warriors, when combined both theories give a solid picture of societies that allow for female combatants. In this paper I propose that by combining Sanday’s work on female power and Adams’s work on women warriors we can come to a better understanding about just what makes the cultures that allow for women’s participation in warfare unique, and perhaps what characteristics must be in place in order for a culture to have women warriors. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection