Cultural Sexism


Book Description

How does gendered power work? How does it circulate? How does it become embedded? And most importantly, how can we challenge it? Heather Savigny highlights five key traits of cultural sexism – violence, silencing, disciplining, meritocracy and masculinity – prevalent across the media, entertainment and cultural industries that keep sexist values firmly within popular consciousness. She traces the development of key feminist thinkers before demonstrating how the normalization of misogyny in popular media, culture, news and politics perpetuates patriarchal values within our everyday social and cultural landscape. She argues that we need to understand why #MeToo was necessary in the first place in order to bring about impactful, lasting and meaningful change.




Feminism and Pop Culture


Book Description

Whether or not we like to admit it, pop culture is a lens through which we alternately view and shape the world around us. When it comes to feminism, pop culture aids us in translating feminist philosophies, issues, and concepts into everyday language, making them relevant and relatable. In Feminism and Pop Culture, author and cofounder of Bitch magazine Andi Zeisler traces the impact of feminism on pop culture (and vice versa) from the 1940s to the present and beyond. With a comprehensive overview of the intertwining relationship between women and pop culture, this book is an ideal introduction to discussing feminism and daily life.




The Rise of Enlightened Sexism


Book Description

Women today are inundated with conflicting messages from the mass media: they must either be strong leaders in complete command or sex kittens obsessed with finding and pleasing a man. In The Rise Of Enlightened Sexism, Susan J. Douglas, one of America's most entertaining and insightful cultural critics, takes readers on a spirited journey through the television programs, popular songs, movies, and news coverage of recent years, telling a story that is nothing less than the cultural biography of a new generation of American women. Revisiting cultural touchstones from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Survivor to Desperate Housewives, Douglas uses wit and wisdom to expose these images of women as mere fantasies of female power, assuring women and girls that the battle for equality has been won, so there's nothing wrong with resurrecting sexist stereotypes—all in good fun, of course. She shows that these portrayals not only distract us from the real-world challenges facing women today but also drive a wedge between baby-boom women and their "millennial" daughters. In seeking to bridge this generation gap, Douglas makes the case for casting aside these retrograde messages, showing us how to decode the mixed messages that restrict the ambitions of women of all ages. And what makes The Rise Of Enlightened Sexism such a pleasure to read is Douglas's unique voice, as she blends humor with insight and offers an empathetic and sisterly guide to the images so many American women love and hate with equal measure.




The Culture of Sexism


Book Description

Most contemporary analyses of sexism focus on economic, social, and political inequalities and suggest appropriate remedies. In contrast, Götz argues that sexism arises, at least in part, out of a subconscious male envy of women's capacity to receive. He refers to this as womb envy. The obvious ground of this envy is the realization by the growing boy that women have something he lacks. Götz documents this subconscious envy as reference to a variety of mythological motifs, fairy tales, and religious beliefs, including theological constructs. His study is cross-cultural, though special emphasis is placed on Western traditions. The importance of mythology, especially, is the fact that it bears witness to people's real beliefs, and that it does so for a considerably long period of time. Thus myths become a good proof of the hypothesis of womb envy. Götz also explores briefly some psychological mechanisms operative in the formation of womb envy, and he examines schooling as one institution that has perpetuated the womb envy that is so much a part of sexism. A provocative analysis, this will be of interest to the general public as well as scholars and researchers involved with Women's and Religious Studies, education, psychology, and philosophy.




A New Psychology of Women


Book Description

Rich, original, and transformative, the latest edition of A New Psychology of Women examines how gender-related expectations interact with other cultural assumptions and stereotypes, and with social and economic conditions, to affect women’s experiences and behavior. Absorbing narratives centered on essential topics in psychology and global research engage readers to grasp cutting-edge insights into the psychological diversity of women. Aware that our own cultural experience colors and limits what we think we know about people, veteran educator and scholar Hilary Lips imbues her discussions with international examples and perspectives to provide an inclusive approach to the psychology of women. A wide range of new and extensively updated topics optimize readers’ knowledge of how disparate perspectives from cultures throughout the world shape women’s behavior and attitudes toward: health care / violence against women / poverty / labor force participation / occupational segregation / unpaid work / stereotyping and discrimination / expectations about power within marriage / female genital mutilation / theories of gender development / women’s attitudes toward their bodies / use of social media / media portrayals of girls and women / women in political leadership roles Among thoroughly updated topics particular to US culture are same-sex marriage, Latina women’s issues, the portrayal of women of different ethnic and cultural groups on television, and breast cancer survival rates of African American and European American women. Boxed items containing learning activities, profiles of women who helped shape psychology, and suggestions for making social changes appear throughout the text. Each chapter concludes with discussion questions, key terms, suggestions for additional reading, and Web resources.




Feminism Is for Everybody


Book Description

What is feminism? In this short, accessible primer, bell hooks explores the nature of feminism and its positive promise to eliminate sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression. With her characteristic clarity and directness, hooks encourages readers to see how feminism can touch and change their lives—to see that feminism is for everybody.




Gender in the Mirror


Book Description

Harmful, culturally prevalent imagery of feminine sexuality, beauty, and motherhood constrains women's self-determination. Gender in the Mirror proposes alternative imagery of feminine sexuality, beauty, and motherhood and advances an account of feminist discursive politics that takes on the challenge of neutralizing patriarchal imagery.




The Psychopathology of Everyday Racism and Sexism


Book Description

In this enlightening book, women of color eloquently and honestly articulate the impact of racism, sexism, and poverty on their personal lives and on the histories of their people. They express anger at the failure of traditional psychiatry and psychology--which tend to advocate assimilation, meaning the denial of one's cultural and historical identity--to understand the struggles and problems in their lives. The contributors to The Psychopathology of Everyday Racism and Sexism--who come from both inside and outside the psychological disciplines--examine newer therapies in which women are encouraged to identify and express emotional reactions to other people, racism, and abuse and to expose the humiliation they feel. These new therapeutic processes--representing a milestone in psychological theory and practice--help women of color develop their historical identity and reject socially-induced shame and degredation.The editor of this vital book is Lenora Fulani, a developmental psychologist and an active political leader. Dr. Fulani explores how a lack of power over one's life and deprivation of a sense of oneself as historical are commonly associated with psychological problems. The added stress of low social status, sexual exploitation, poverty, abuse, and drug and alcohol problems, result in an enormous sense of failure and incredible vulnerability to emotional stress. With passion and compassion, The Psychopathology of Everyday Racism and Sexism advocates an empowering sense of community based on the power of and love for the oppressed.




Social Comparison and Social Psychology


Book Description

Publisher Description




Popular Culture, Political Economy and the Death of Feminism


Book Description

While some have argued that we live in a ‘postfeminist’ era that renders feminism irrelevant to people’s contemporary lives this book takes ‘feminism’, the source of eternal debate, contestation and ambivalence, and situates the term within the popular, cultural practices of everyday life. It explores the intimate connections between the politics of feminism and the representational practices of contemporary popular culture, examining how feminism is ‘made sensible’ through visual imagery and popular culture representations. It investigates how popular culture is produced, represented and consumed to reproduce the conditions in which feminism is valued or dismissed, and asks whether antifeminism exists in commodity form and is commercially viable. Written in an accessible style and analysing a broad range of popular culture artefacts (including commercial advertising, printed and digital news-related journalism and commentary, music, film, television programming, websites and social media), this book will be of use to students, researchers and practitioners of International Relations, International Political Economy and gender, cultural and media studies.