This thesis focuses on how identity in contemporary British and French women’s writing has developed since the times of second wave feminism, when identity in women’s literature was virtually narrowed down to gender identity and women’s identities more often than not were portrayed as discriminated against, alien and other in world dominated by patriarchy. The thesis addresses different aspects of identity explored in the work of four contemporary female authors: British Trezza Azzopardi and A.L. Kennedy, French Marie NDiaye and Marie Darrieussecq. It also articulates the structure of identity as it appears in the work of each author. The study suggests that Azzopardi, NDiaye, Kennedy and Darrieussecq address a wide range of aspects of identity in their work. Nevertheless, gender identity remains a significant preoccupation in their writing and is often explored together with other discriminated identities and their combinations (i.e. gender/race/social/class or gender/age/national identities. It is argued that self identity in the work of all four authors takes the form of the other in different guises. It is argued that a prominent concern with the exploration of self as other is the distinguishing mark of the latest generation of women writers compared to previous ones. It is the contention of this thesis that the change in the female speaking position has inevitably transformed the way the female speaking subject perceives herself and functions in discourse and culture. / Disertacijoje siekiama atskleisti, kaip moterų tapatumo problema naujausioje prancūzų ir britų moterų literatūroje pakito nuo antrosios feminizmo bangos laikų, kai moterų literatūroje ji buvo tapati lyties tapatumui, o moters tapatumas vaizduojamas kaip diskriminuojamas, svetimas, kitas vyrų pasaulyje. Lyties tapatumas šiuolaikinėje moterų kūryboje išsirutuliojo į sudėtingą ir platų tapatumų tinklą. Disertacijoje nagrinėjami įvairūs tapatumo aspektai ir jų raiška keturių šiuolaikinių rašytojų – prancūzių Marie NDiaye ir Marie Darrieussecq bei bričių velsietės Trezzos Azzopardi ir škotės Alison Louise Kennedy (pasirašinėjančios A. L. Kennedy) – kūryboje. Per minėtų autorių kūrybą aptariami XX–XXI amžių sandūros britų ir prancūzų moterų literatūroje aktualizuojami tapatumo aspektai ir jų konstravimo principai. Daromos išvados, kad šiuolaikinių rašytojų nebeslegia lyties identifikacijos, joms rūpi aktualizuoti ne vieną, bet daugelį tapatumo aspektų, kurie vis dėlto dažniausiai yra diskriminuojami. Vyraujantis mąstymo apie tapatumą būdas Azzopardi, NDiaye, Kennedy ir Darrieussecq kūryboje yra kito neišvengiamumo deklaravimas. Tai simbolizuoja visavertį moterų rašytojų dalyvavimą diskursyvinėje erdvėje, tai, kad kūrybą jos suvokia ne kaip kito dominuojamą erdvę, bet kaip areną, kurioje jų talentas, jų kūrybinė savastis gali skleistis ir skleidžiasi per santykį su kitu, kitais, jų tekstais, kūrybiniais ir meniniais ieškojimais.

Disertacijoje siekiama atskleisti, kaip moterų tapatumo problema naujausioje prancūzų ir britų moterų literatūroje pakito nuo antrosios feminizmo bangos laikų, kai moterų literatūroje ji buvo tapati lyties tapatumui, o moters tapatumas vaizduojamas kaip diskriminuojamas, svetimas, kitas vyrų pasaulyje. Lyties tapatumas šiuolaikinėje moterų kūryboje išsirutuliojo į sudėtingą ir platų tapatumų tinklą. Disertacijoje nagrinėjami įvairūs tapatumo aspektai ir jų raiška keturių šiuolaikinių rašytojų – prancūzių Marie NDiaye ir Marie Darrieussecq bei bričių velsietės Trezzos Azzopardi ir škotės Alison Louise Kennedy (pasirašinėjančios A. L. Kennedy) – kūryboje. Per minėtų autorių kūrybą aptariami XX–XXI amžių sandūros britų ir prancūzų moterų literatūroje aktualizuojami tapatumo aspektai ir jų konstravimo principai. Daromos išvados, kad šiuolaikinių rašytojų nebeslegia lyties identifikacijos, joms rūpi aktualizuoti ne vieną, bet daugelį tapatumo aspektų, kurie vis dėlto dažniausiai yra diskriminuojami. Vyraujantis mąstymo apie tapatumą būdas Azzopardi, NDiaye, Kennedy ir Darrieussecq kūryboje yra kito neišvengiamumo deklaravimas. Tai simbolizuoja visavertį moterų rašytojų dalyvavimą diskursyvinėje erdvėje, tai, kad kūrybą jos suvokia ne kaip kito dominuojamą erdvę, bet kaip areną, kurioje jų talentas, jų kūrybinė savastis gali skleistis ir skleidžiasi per santykį su kitu, kitais, jų tekstais, kūrybiniais ir meniniais ieškojimais. / This thesis focuses on how identity in contemporary British and French women’s writing has developed since the times of second wave feminism, when identity in women’s literature was virtually narrowed down to gender identity and women’s identities more often than not were portrayed as discriminated against, alien and other in world dominated by patriarchy. The thesis addresses different aspects of identity explored in the work of four contemporary female authors: British Trezza Azzopardi and A.L. Kennedy, French Marie NDiaye and Marie Darrieussecq. It also articulates the structure of identity as it appears in the work of each author. The study suggests that Azzopardi, NDiaye, Kennedy and Darrieussecq address a wide range of aspects of identity in their work. Nevertheless, gender identity remains a significant preoccupation in their writing and is often explored together with other discriminated identities and their combinations (i.e. gender/race/social/class or gender/age/national identities. It is argued that self identity in the work of all four authors takes the form of the other in different guises. It is argued that a prominent concern with the exploration of self as other is the distinguishing mark of the latest generation of women writers compared to previous ones. It is the contention of this thesis that the change in the female speaking position has inevitably transformed the way the female speaking subject perceives herself and functions in discourse and culture.

This thesis explores how the body and femininity are constructed by starting from the subjective experiences of 12 young women labelled with an intellectual impairment. The methodological approach is inspired by so-called participatory research. The study combines the concepts of (dis)ability and gender from a sociological perspective. It shows how the young women negotiate norms regarding the body and femininity to pursue the coveted body and femininity ideals, but also to do the opposite: resist these ideals. The thesis is based on the following four articles: Theorizing the Body: Conceptions of Disability, Gender and Normality addresses different perspectives on the body in relation to conceptions of disability, gender and normality. The article highlights the importance of integrating disability and gender when exploring an understanding of conceptions and constructions of the body. Negotiating Normality: The Complexity of Showing (off) Bodies identifies four different strategies the young women use to make themselves visible as fashionable young women of today, e.g. as non-disabled. It shows that these strategies comply with conceptions of fashion, and that they are at the same time expressions of different marks of resistance.                                                                            Risky Transitions in an Ableist Environment: The Experience of Frequent Critical Looks presents an exemplification of social construction of the body by focusing on critical looks. The concept of critical looks is analysed from an intersectional perspective, specifically in relation to how (dis)ability, gender and, to some extent, age interact. It shows how the body is made visible by being stared at, both to oneself and to others depending on place and interactions. Reflections on Collaborative Research: to What Extent, and on Whose Terms? discusses the possible methodological and ethical dilemmas found in different research phases, and in relation to the participants, in collaborative research within disability research. It shows that collaborative research can benefit from being problematized and discussed further regarding the categorization of disability as well as participation.

This study titled: “Mourning Cultural Practice Amongst the Zulu Speaking Widows of the KwaNyuswa Community: A Feminist Perspective” explored how mourning cultural practices contribute towards gender discrimination which results to women oppression. The main aim of this study was to document how cultural practices impact negatively to women. It focused on challenges and consequences that the Zulu speaking widows particularly in the rural areas experience during their mourning period. Within feminism as an umbrella theory underpinning this study, radical approach was employed to address the issue to be investigated since it considers patriarchal practices as a primary cause of women’s oppression (Wills and Ellen, 1994:117). This approach enabled the study to extract the gender imbalances inherent in cultural practices, and to expose widow’s experiences, why they experience what they are experiencing and how do they perceive their experiences. This study employed a qualitative research approach embracing the interpretive paradigm and sought to obtain a rich and deep interpretation of participant’s responses on the topic investigated. A combination of three qualitative data collection methods were used, these were: face to face interviews, focus groups discussion and participant observation. Thirty participants were randomly selected from five districts of KwaNyuswa and that include: key informants, women and men, widows and widowers and these were regarded as people who are knowledgeable and have an experience with the phenomenon studied. Thematic data analysis was used in this study through which four themes were emerged. These themes were derived from participant’s perceptions and experiences which made it possible to meet the research objectives. The findings of this study revealed that the majority of people at KwaNyuswa consider mourning cultural practice as an integral part of their lives irrespective of its constraints or challenges it might have to the people involved. It was clear from this study that the people of this community are very much conservative and stereotyped and they do not consider anything of gender transformation or gender equality. Recommendations were made for social and gender transformation and for some means to improve the widow’s plight. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

The present thesis explores how masculinity is constructed and negotiated in relation to race, class and sexuality in hip hop in Sweden. Theoretically, the study contributes to the increasing use of contemporary feminist theory in men and masculinity research. In so doing, it brings into dialogue poststructuralist feminism, feminist phenomenology, intersectionality and queer theory. These theoretical perspectives are put to use in a discourse analysis of rap lyrics by 38 rap artists in Sweden from the period 1991-2011. The thesis is based on the following four articles: Sticky masculinity: Post-structuralism, phenomenology and subjectivity in critical studies on men explores how poststructuralist feminism and feminist phenomenology can advance the understanding of subjectivity within men and masculinity research. Drawing on Sara Ahmed, and offering re-readings of John Stoltenberg and Victor Seidler, the article develops the notion of “sticky masculinity”. Degrees of intersectionality: Male rap artists in Sweden negotiating class, race and gender analyzes how class, race, gender, and to some extent sexuality, intersect in rap lyrics by male artists. It shows how critiques of class and race inequalities in these lyrics intersect with normative notions of gender and sexuality. Drawing on this empirical analysis, the article suggests that the notion of “degrees of intersectionality” can be helpful in thinking about masculinity from an intersectional perspective. ‘No homo’: Straight inoculations and the queering of masculinity in Swedish hip hop explores the boundary work performed by male artists regarding sexuality categories. In particular, it analyzes how heterosexuality is sustained, given the affection expressed among male peers. To this end, the article develops the notion of “straight inoculations” to account for the rhetorical means by which heterosexual identities are sustained in a contested terrain. Hip hop feminism in Sweden: Intersectionality, feminist critique and female masculinity investigates lyrics by female artists in the male-dominated hip hop genre. The analysis shows how critique of gender inequality is a central theme in these lyrics, ranging from the hip hop scene to politics and men’s violence against women. The article also analyzes how female rappers both critique and perform masculinity.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Kassel, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Carleton University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 410-433). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Freie Univ., Diss.--Berlin, 2001. / Literaturverz. S. 227 - 236.

Diss. Örebro : Örebro universitet, 2009. / Pp. 253-270: Bibliography.

Thesis (M.A. History)--University of Waikato, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-141). Also available via the World Wide Web.