Dissertation Information for Jamie SkerskiNAME:
DEGREE:
DISCIPLINE:
SCHOOL: ADVISORS: COMMITTEE MEMBERS: MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected Title: Re-pairing heterosexual hegemony: Discursive articulations of female subjectivity Abstract: This project confronts the intersection female subjectivity, sexuality and gender, and the discursive power mechanisms that normalize heterosexual hegemony. Analyzing contemporary sites of female subjectivity in popular culture, I describe how a hegemonic discursive formation absorbs challenges to its supremacy through metaphoric dynamic of violation and repair. I focus on three such moments of hegemonic violation and subsequent discursive repair: the cultural negotiation of "Ellen" Degeneres, the recent proliferation of female sportscasters, and the mediated caricature of the tomboy. I suggest that the constant re-pairing of the male/female heterosexual binary and the resulting dualisms (such as active/passive, strong/weak, public/private, etc.) and corresponding value assumptions work to maintain heteronormative and patriarchal dominance.I recommend a reconsideration of the language of representation, cautioning that it may not be an adequate perspective for understanding the constitutive potential of discourse. Instead, I advocate the term mediated subjectivities in an effort to understand better the exchange of female subjectivities and the implications for perpetuating a patriarchal values system. Finally, I offer examples of hegemonic vulnerability that may be opportunities for exercising tactical discursive agency, promoting productive criticism as a creative heuristic for creating change through rhetorical practice. |
MPACT Scores for Jamie SkerskiA = 0 Advisors and Advisees Graph |