This essay argues that Elizabeth Gaskell challenges the limiting gender roles of the Victorian era through giving her heroine, Margaret Hale in North and South, both the traditionally female qualities of virtue and selflessness and the traditionally masculine qualities of independence and action. The essay also argues that Gaskell’s heroine balances between the feminine and the masculine world as to not appear “unwomanly”, but rather subtly influencing the readers and calls for changing gender norms. Concrete examples of the heroine’s gender transgressions are put forward, but also her compliance to the traditional gender roles summed up in three roles or themes: the angel in the house, the female visitor and the refined lady. This essay also provides a didactic approach on working with North and South and the topic of Victorian gender norms in the upper secondary school. The relevance of and reasons for reading literature in school are also presented. The didactic chapter offers a concrete lesson plan on how to work with the theme of Victorian gender norms, which may develop students’ emphatic skills and also make them aware of ties between themselves and people that lived a long time ago.

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is public health and human rights concern. The studies forming this thesis seek to understand healthcare worker and community attitudes and perceptions about IPV; their role in support, care and prevention of IPV, and the feasibility of introducing routine screening for IPV among women attending healthcare. Methods: Four interrelated studies were conducted in Temeke District, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: 1) a content analysis of 16 in-depth interviews with healthcare workers about their experiences of meeting IPV clients, 2) a grounded theory analysis of seven focus group discussions that explore community perceptions, 3) a cross sectional study of 657 healthcare workers and students to understand their attitudes and perceptions about IPV and future roles in care and support, and 4) evaluation of a pilot intervention that introduces routine screening in an outpatient department. The pilot intervention included screening of 102 women, ten observations of healthcare worker interactions with women clients, three focus group discussions, and five narratives written by healthcare workers about their experiences with the screening tools. Results: Gender inequalities, attitudes, and poverty intersect in the explanation of IPV. Healthcare workers view low economic status among women, rigid gender norms, and stigma that influences women to stay in violent relationships. Alcohol abuse, multiple sexual partners and low levels of income among men were cited as triggers for IPV episodes. Between 20-67% of healthcare workers and students report meeting IPV clients at work. More than 9o% observed clients with unexplained feelings of sadness and/or loss of confidence. Resource and training limitations, heavy workloads and low salaries constrain services. A strong desire to make a difference in the care and support of IPV clients was present, but violence as a hidden agenda with a client resistance to disclosure was a challenge. The community study shows a transition in gender norms is making violence against women less acceptable. Conclusions and suggestions: Healthcare workers and the community strongly wish and are committed to support IPV prevention. Both groups understood the meaning, provocative factors and some IPV effects. This awareness contributes to their desire to be part of a change. At the central level, prevention of IPV should be on the governments’ policy agenda and should be prioritised. Education about gender-based violence must be incorporated into the curricula of healthcare workers. At community level, advocacy is necessary for changing harmful gender norms and measures to combat women’s poverty. Men should be engaged at all levels. Provision of information on the human rights perspectives of IPV should be strengthened and related to other types of violence.

This thesis explores the mutual constitutions of visuality and empire from the perspective of gender, probing how the lives of China's ethnic minorities at the southwest frontiers were translated into images. Two sets of visual materials make up its core sources: the Miao album, a genre of ethnographic illustration depicting the daily lives of non-Han peoples in late imperial China, and the ethnographic photographs found in popular Republican-era periodicals. The study highlights gender ideals within images and aims to develop a set of 'visual grammar' of depicting the non-Han. Casting new light on a spectrum of gendered themes, including femininity, masculinity, sexuality, love, body and clothing, the thesis examines how the power constructed through gender helped to define, order, popularise, celebrate and imagine possessions of empire. In order to examine the visual transformations of images of non-Han, this study places the Miao albums and modern photographs side-by-side for comparison, revealing the different ways of seeing ethnic minorities when Han Chinese gender norms were de/reconstructed. The insights into the visual codes of gender also aim to place Chinese imperial models in a cultural context, testing how well the case of China fits into theories of empire generated mainly from European models. This thesis asks how imported imperial tools, in particular European technology and the science of human variations, were localised within the conceptualisation of nations in modern China. It also considers the relationship between text and image in historical analysis, uncovering the values of images to historians in novel ways. By taking an interdisciplinary approach, the thesis aims to contribute to the fields of gender, visual culture and imperial studies.

This essay demonstrates how Bilbo, the main protagonist of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, is a feminine hero despite being male. The study builds on concepts of traditional gender norms which show men as strong, intelligent beings and overall superior to the weak and emotional women. Also included in the study is Carl Jung’s anima archetype (the hypothesized feminine side of the man) as well as conventional hero-types, comparing Bilbo to three other heroes of Tolkien’s creation (Aragorn, Frodo and Beorn) in order to categorize Bilbo and show what kind of a hero he is. The essay shows that Bilbo, based on his actions and personality, and in accordance with the traditional gender norms, classifies as a feminine hero. / Denna uppsats demonstrerar hur Bilbo, huvudkaraktären i J.R.R. Tolkiens The Hobbit, är en feminin hjälte trots att han är manlig. Studien bygger på koncept av traditionella könsnormer som visar män som starka, intelligenta varelser och allmänt överlägsna de svaga och emotionella kvinnorna. Också inkluderat i studien är Carl Jungs anima-arketyp (den hypotetiserade feminina sidan av mannen) såväl som konventionella hjälte-typer och jämför Bilbo med tre andra hjältar som Tolkien skapat (Aragorn, Frodo och Beorn) för att kunna kategorisera Bilbo och visa vad för slags hjälte han är. Uppsatsen visar att Bilbo, baserat på hans handlingar och personlighet, och i överensstämmelse med de traditionella könsnormerna, klassificeras som en feminin hjälte.

This essay argues that the protagonist of The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins can be considered to be a female character in a male form. By applying feminist literary criticism this essay map out the traditional gender roles in society along with the traditional gender roles in Middle Earth in order to investigate Bilbo’s female characteristics, the similarities between him and women in patriarchal society as well as the female imagery present in The Hobbit. The results show that Bilbo Baggins’ characteristics such as emotionality, sensitivity and compassion corresponds more to the traditional female gender norms than that of the male gender norms. The results also indicate the similarities between Bilbo’s experiences and that of women in a patriarchal society, such as the attention to being respectable and difficulties working in a male-dominated field.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman has several characters who in many ways break gender norms. The main protagonist of the novel, Coraline, acts more in accordance with masculine gender norms, and the mother figures are mothers who do not fully conform to the traditional mother role. The purpose of this study is to look at how Coraline and the mother figures perform their gender, and in which ways this breaks with or aligns with traditional gender norms. The analytical approach is based on Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity, and on masculine and feminine gender schemas defined by John Stephens. For the analysis of motherhood, gender performativity has also been used, and works by Adrienne Rich and Einat Natalie Palkovich. This study shows that the protagonists challenge traditional gender role norms of masculinity and femininity, whereof motherhood is part. The study also shows that there is a lack of female role models for the young protagonist, and that acting according to masculine gender norms is desirable and necessary in the novel. But for the mothers, breaking gender norms is undesirable, dangerous, and even punished. A conclusion of the study is that even though Coraline appears to be a feminist novel, the underlying message is not entirely so.

Violating social norms often elicits a negative public response aimed at punishing norm violators and dissuading others from following their lead. One way to understand reactions to norm violations is through the moral panic framework. This framework identifies the reactions that an emergent norm-violating social group is likely to experience. These reactions are characterized as overexaggerated, often blaming the group for the consequences of their norm violation and suggesting that the public should fear the group. I hypothesized that social attitudes towards female breadwinner relationships (FBRs), which violate heteronormative gender norms, would reflect these, and other, moral panic characteristics. However, I expected that these characteristics would be less extreme, and thus I proposed that social reactions to FBRs would reflect a kind of moral anxiety. To test this hypothesis, I conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of 94 magazine and newspaper articles concerning FBRs, and five themes emerged. First, the articles emphasized the social change that these relationships represent. Second, gender role expectations were often discussed, with many more articles reinforcing traditional gender role expectations than non-traditional gender role expectations. Third, most articles described costs of FBRs while only a minority described benefits, and most costs concerned the couple as a whole instead of either partner individually. Fourth, societal reactions to this change were often described, and most reactions were negative. And fifth, many articles offered tips for FBRs, often focused on overcoming the costs associated with such bonds. This pattern of reactions to FBRs ultimately demonstrated many of the characteristics of moral anxiety. Overall, these media articles portrayed FBRs as undesirable relationships involving stressed women and emasculated men: a stigmatizing portrayal that could dissuade others from pursuing such relationships. / Graduate / 2021-04-08

The purpose of this thesis is to explore how gender norms are represented and depicted in the commercial sphere of fashion, affecting primarily females. The thesis will highlight the voices of several young females of today and their perception of how it is to be influenced and exposed to gender norms in regards to fashion. This thesis theoretical chapters consists of theories in gender norms, norm-critical design, fashion magazines, editorial design, fashion photography, norm-critical photography and intersectional feminism. Furthermore, the method used for this paper are interviews, a total of 17 people were interviewed, whereas five of them are currently working in either the commercial fashion industry or as creatives on a global level. The interviews occurred online, through both emailing and Instagram. This thesis concludes that several aspects, primarily based on the male gaze negatively influence gender norms in the commercial sphere of fashion. However, it is also concluded that there are several change agents, working towards breaking these toxic influences. The thesis is also part of a design project, which final outcome is exhibited at the exhibition Windows Of Opportunity. An online exhibition hosted by the program Design + Change and Visual Communication + Change, at the Linnaeus University in Sweden. https://2020.designportfoliolnu.se/studentwork/rewrite/

This essay has studied how successful women are portrayed in the reality show Swedish power women. The purpose was to examine if stereotypes and gender norms are reproduced or challenged. Theoretical perspectives such as gender, gender norms, stereotypes and the male gaze were used to investigate the portrayal of successful women. To analyze the empirical material, consisting of three episodes from the first season, a semiotic analysis was used. Using the analytical tools of semiotics, such as denotation, connotation, stereotypes, and camera angles, the research purpose was analyzed and answered. The result showed that the successful women usually were depicted from a camera angle at eye level. The women had an active role in the series which contributes to the fact that the male gaze rarely occurs. The women’s characteristics were described as hardworking, driven, and enterprising but also as insecure and challenged by performance anxiety. Their lifestyle was described as a stressful everyday life where they balance work, love life, and family. The women were often portrayed in superficial environments which contributes to a focus on appearance fixation. Finally, the relations between women and men were portrayed as an equal relationship where no one has a higher status than the other. The main findings showed that stereotypes and gender norms are both reproduced and challenged. The essay suggests that in the long run, this kind of portrayal can contribute to a more neutral way of portraying women and blur the lines between masculine and feminine qualities.

Denna studie grundar sig i sex förskollärares upplevelser kring jämställdhet och genus i förskolan. Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur förskollärare arbetar kring normer om kön. Målsättningen är att jämföra och få förståelse för hur förskollärare och förskolor arbetar för att alla barn ska få samma möjligheter, oavsett kön Vi har använt oss av semistrukturerade intervjuer tillsammans med tre förskollärare på en mindre ort och tre förskollärare på en större ort, båda i södra Sverige. Resultatet har analyserats utifrån tre strategier om genusarbete i förskolan; könsneutral pedagogik, kompensatorisk pedagogik och komplicerande genuspedagogik. Resultatet visar att förskollärare idag inte använder sig av enbart en strategi i arbetet med genus och normkritik. Olika strategier används i olika situationer. Den könsneutrala pedagogiken används främst i frågor om den pedagogiska miljön. Den kompensatoriska pedagogiken används främst i syfte att utmana barnen. Resultatet visar att förskollärares tankar och arbetssätt främst går i linje med den komplicerande genuspedagogiken. De menar att barnet ska ses som en individ och att mindre fokus ska ligga på om barnet är en pojke eller flicka.