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Dissertation Information for Barna William Donovan

NAME:
- Barna William Donovan

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- Rutgers University (USA) (2002)

ADVISORS:
- Robert Kubey

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Silvio Waisbord
- Laurie Ouellette
- Lionel Tiger

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: Under siege: Men, women and the crises of gender, identity and society in the action/adventure film genre

Abstract: Although a topic of research for decades, issues of violent media products have only recently been approached from a qualitative perspective and with a focus on audience behavior. Thanks in large part to British cultural studies, the examination of the consumers of violent entertainment and their positioning of such entertainment in their lives is a new and useful approach to the issue. The issue, however, has rarely been studied from a gendered perspective, especially focusing on masculinity and society's shifting concepts of masculinity. This study presents such a methodological approach. Looking at the action/adventure film genre, the study explores the testimonies of male and female active viewers to understand the process of how they negotiate their identities with the genre's concern over gender.

Drawing on scholarship as diverse as mass communication studies, cultural studies, psychology, sociology and anthropology, the case is made that the drastic shift in the social and political power of both men and women and the reconceptualization of masculinity over the last several decades have led to the phenomenon of a masculinity crisis for certain men. In turn, drawing on tenets of film scholarship and genre theory, the action/adventure is tied to this masculinity crisis. The film's active audience members discuss why they are drawn to this genre, their views of gender relations, masculinity, and how they are able to position the statements the genre makes about all these issues within the framework of their own lives, experiences and world views.

MPACT Scores for Barna William Donovan

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:11:24

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Students under Barna William Donovan

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- None