This study is based on narratives from two victims of violence. A raped old woman has turned to be the core of this narrative of narrative. She is both a narrator and the head person in her narrative. Her narrative turned out to be a dialogue between two genres namely her trauma story and her life story. By experience violence has been associated with masculinity and powr, which is discussed in some detail. Victims are often exposed in media narratives. This study has studied the narratives, the narrative of the victim and narrative of the local papers in Gotland about the same incident. There were differences as to content, forms and goals of their narratives. The victim expressed indirectly a wish to preserve their cultural identy and to regain balance in their life while the local papers want to preserve the reputation of the possibility of good and safe living in the isle of Gotland. In addition to this a short comparison of the used method of narrative analysis is undertaken.

The present thesis is a study of Robert Browning¡¦s male narrators in his dramatic monologues that deal with problematic man-woman relationships. Being a renovator of the poetic genre of dramatic monologue, Browning employs it to present men¡¦s innermost struggle and obscure emotions in love. While the Victorian gender stereotype emphasizes men¡¦s preoccupation with the business world, he demonstrates men¡¦s intense relation with love. In his poems depicting man-woman relationships, men¡¦s struggles are mainly caused by their eagerness to retain their masculinity, namely, the patriarchal order. This thesis is to explore the concept of masculinity in Browning¡¦s poems. It examines Browning¡¦s typical egoistic men and men¡¦s fantasy about women¡¦s passion. Browning¡¦s female narrators are also discussed to underscore the male-dominated viewpoint on man-woman relationships. Meanwhile it explores Browning¡¦s artist characters, including artists as narrators and not as narrators. Close textual analysis will be made of a selection of poems from Dramatic Lyrics (1842), Dramatic Romances and Lyrics (1845), Men and Women (1855), and Dramatis Personæ (1864) to see the poet¡¦s pondering upon men¡¦s twisted emotions.

The purpose of this research project was to examine representations of male characters and masculinity in Disney animated feature films. Social learning theory, gender and hegemonic masculinity were used to theoretically frame this study. Twenty-two movies were examined; a total of ninety-one characters were included in the analysis. The movies included in the sample were produced between 1930 and 2007. This study sought to examine the dimensions of character descriptions, physical descriptions, socioeconomic status, sexuality, family structures and practices, and aggression as well as to understand how constructions of masculinity in Disney films changed over time. The results of the present study regarding character role indicate that good characters were most often middle aged, slender and fit but not muscular, single, royalty, and had community as family. They were most often heterosexual, equally likely to be romantically involved as to be not romantically involved, were sexual in nature, and were most often the victims of physical aggression. Evil characters were most often middle aged, slender and fit but not muscular, single, royalty, had community as family, and were well dressed. Evil characters were most likely to trap other characters and to steal. Neutral characters were most often old/elderly, overweight and not muscular, and were most often employed as inventors, royalty, and diamond miners. They were also most often single and to have community as family. The results regarding character centrality indicated that central characters were most often white, slender and fit but not muscular, single, middle aged, showed physical strength, and were well dressed compared to peripheral characters. Central characters were heterosexual, romantically involved, sexual in nature, engaged in hand to hand fighting, and engaged in social isolation and name calling. Peripheral characters were most often white, slender and fit but not muscular, single, and also more likely than central characters to be old/elderly. For the analysis of masculinity across time, it was found that the types of masculinity shown in Disney films did not match with hegemonic masculinity historically. Overall, the most common theme of masculinity that was observed throughout all decades was the fatherhood movement.

In recent years, men¡¦s fashion magazines have become a new media genre that attracts lots of attention. The sales, advertisements, and publications of the men¡¦s fashion magazines have reached a remarkable performance. Media is an important social institution to shape gender images. Thus, this study aims to explore what kind of masculinity that men¡¦s fashion magazines in Taiwan represents? How to achieve the masculinity through consumption? Are there any differences in masculinity between transnational and local men¡¦s fashion magazines? What is the variation in men¡¦s fashion magazines in different periods? This study expects to describe the masculinity represented in men¡¦s fashion magazines of Taiwan to enrich the media and men¡¦s research resources. This study drawn on the masculinity theory based on the sociologist R.W. Connell¡¦s, and applied a methodology of quantitative content analysis. The subjects were the international Chinese edition of men¡¦s fashion magazine GQ and the local men¡¦s fashion magazine men¡¦s uno. The reason to focus the analysis on GQ and men¡¦s uno is due to the fact that they are the most popular and long-running men¡¦s fashion magazines in Taiwan respectively. By means of analyzing these two magazines published during 1997 to 2006, this research tries to understand the masculinity styles represented on the magazines¡¦ cover. The major finding revealed that the large numbers of men represented in men¡¦s fashion magazines of Taiwan were young men who aged between 18 and 35 (with 74.8% appearing in the ¡§cover figure¡¨ category and 71.2% in the ¡§featured people¡¨ category). Most of the men in the magazines were entertainment workers with appealing looks (with 90.1% appearing in the ¡§cover figure¡¨ category and 81.9% in the ¡§featured people¡¨ category). As for men¡¦s appearance types, the Trendy Cool type (43.2%) was the majority, the next types were Gentle (14.4%), Tough/Strong (11.7%), and Serious/Sophisticated (11.7%). Secondly, 60.5% of the article headlines on the magazines¡¦ covers were related to the consumption issues. The topics of the headlines were centered on fashion (39.6%) and featured people (29.8%). Furthermore, comparing the transnational with the local magazine, there were differences in men¡¦s age, occupation, appearance type, body type, and the topic and product category that the magazine emphasized. In conclusion, men¡¦s fashion magazines of Taiwan indeed appear a different kind of masculinity that I identify as ¡§stylish masculinity¡¨. This kind of masculinity focuses much attention on men¡¦s appearances, and it¡¦s achieved through a variety of ways of product consumption. The stylish masculinity overthrows some definitions of the traditional masculinity, but on the other hand, it still maintained some disciplines of traditional masculinity. Analyzing the transnational and local men¡¦s fashion magazines, we can understand even if the international men¡¦s fashion magazine, like GQ, appeared and influenced the local male in a global way. From different cultures, magazine origins and readerships, the local men¡¦s fashion magazine still can present some diverse features in many aspects. Finally, when the transnational fashion magazines introduce the international fashion information to local readers, it also conveys many global viewpoints about masculinity at the same time. However, it¡¦s still possible that the publisher takes a localized strategy in order to cater for the local life and culture.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Akron, Dept. of History, 2008. / "December, 2008." Title from electronic thesis title page (viewed 12/2/2009) Advisor, Walter Hixson; Co-Advisor, Martha Santos; Department Chair, Michael Sheng; Dean of the College, Ronald F. Levant; Dean of the Graduate School, George R. Newkome. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2001. / Bibliography: leaves [128-138].

Thesis supervisor: Sam V. Cochran. Thesis supervisor: William M. Liu. Includes bibliographic references (p. 135-147).

Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009. / Full text also available online. Scroll down for electronic link.

Many obstacles preclude women from becoming presidents and prime ministers, yet a select group of women attain executive offices. How do they succeed? Drawing from 24 published autobiographies, interviews, and speech and letter compilations, this thesis evaluates how nine women political leaders explain their paths to office. Previous research identifies institutional, cultural, and political contexts that lead to women becoming leaders, but I argue that these women did not become political leaders just from opportunities provided to them by their families, political parties, and government systems. Rather, their experience, ambitions, and abilities account for their success. These women describe the formative influence of childhood experiences, formal education, and early careers in leading them to politics. Leaders refer to specific causes motivating them politically, but also reference mobilizing support from social networks to get ahead in politics. These women encounter gendered obstacles in their political careers and develop strategies to neutralize and overcome these barriers. These leaders’ narratives expose how women can reach powerful political positions by complying with cultural codes of masculinity, but also by redefining leadership in their own terms. / text

published_or_final_version / Comparative Literature / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy