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Den hegemoniska kvinnligheten - om dominerande diskurser i kvinnomagasinet amelia

Melin Hald, Denise LU (2012) SOPA63 20121
School of Social Work
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to examine how femininity is constructed in Swedish women’s magazines. The purpose was also to study whether there was a hegemonic discourse in the magazine. This presumes that femininity is a social construction, which is why the study was based on a social constructionist perspective and it´s method was discourse analysis. More specifically the essay investigates the construction of femininity with the ideas and terms from discourse theory, and also gender theory. The selection of the magazine amelia was made from the fact that amelia is the most bought and most read women´s magazine in Sweden. The results showed that the three most frequent discourses in the magazine are; about the female body and the... (More)
The main purpose of this study was to examine how femininity is constructed in Swedish women’s magazines. The purpose was also to study whether there was a hegemonic discourse in the magazine. This presumes that femininity is a social construction, which is why the study was based on a social constructionist perspective and it´s method was discourse analysis. More specifically the essay investigates the construction of femininity with the ideas and terms from discourse theory, and also gender theory. The selection of the magazine amelia was made from the fact that amelia is the most bought and most read women´s magazine in Sweden. The results showed that the three most frequent discourses in the magazine are; about the female body and the importance of appearance, about the woman as a mother and about women as successful and independent. The findings show that the discourse about the female body and the importance of appearance is hegemonic. A hegemonic discourse concerning femininity is conceptions of femininity that are unchallenged and considered natural. The study also highlights the consequences of the hegemonic discourse for the women positioned by the discourse. The conclusion is that the hegemonic discourse in amelia serves the gender system and the gender hierarchy and reproduces criteria for how to be feminine, which is required to be considered a “real” woman. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Melin Hald, Denise LU
supervisor
organization
course
SOPA63 20121
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
women's magazines, discourse, hegemony, femininity, gender
language
Swedish
id
2734126
date added to LUP
2012-06-08 09:18:29
date last changed
2012-06-08 09:18:29
@misc{2734126,
  abstract     = {{The main purpose of this study was to examine how femininity is constructed in Swedish women’s magazines. The purpose was also to study whether there was a hegemonic discourse in the magazine. This presumes that femininity is a social construction, which is why the study was based on a social constructionist perspective and it´s method was discourse analysis. More specifically the essay investigates the construction of femininity with the ideas and terms from discourse theory, and also gender theory. The selection of the magazine amelia was made from the fact that amelia is the most bought and most read women´s magazine in Sweden. The results showed that the three most frequent discourses in the magazine are; about the female body and the importance of appearance, about the woman as a mother and about women as successful and independent. The findings show that the discourse about the female body and the importance of appearance is hegemonic. A hegemonic discourse concerning femininity is conceptions of femininity that are unchallenged and considered natural. The study also highlights the consequences of the hegemonic discourse for the women positioned by the discourse. The conclusion is that the hegemonic discourse in amelia serves the gender system and the gender hierarchy and reproduces criteria for how to be feminine, which is required to be considered a “real” woman.}},
  author       = {{Melin Hald, Denise}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Den hegemoniska kvinnligheten - om dominerande diskurser i kvinnomagasinet amelia}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}