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Comfort through Clothing: North American women’s relationship with clothing through the lens of culture.

Tullman, Kara LU (2023) TKAM02 20231
Division of Ethnology
Abstract
Through ethnographic analysis, this thesis investigates the ways in which North American women seek and experience different modes of comfort through their clothing. The material is drawn from a market research study that employs qualitative methods with a spectrum of women across the United States and Canada. Framed by Bourdieu’s practice theory and Latour’s actor- network theory, the text problematizes how the structure of a pre-determined habitus can be revealed through women’s clothing choices. It highlights the contradictory messages that North American society pushes out to women, and the resulting contradictions of women’s desires and actions that are reflected in their clothing. The analysis suggests that modes of comfort can be... (More)
Through ethnographic analysis, this thesis investigates the ways in which North American women seek and experience different modes of comfort through their clothing. The material is drawn from a market research study that employs qualitative methods with a spectrum of women across the United States and Canada. Framed by Bourdieu’s practice theory and Latour’s actor- network theory, the text problematizes how the structure of a pre-determined habitus can be revealed through women’s clothing choices. It highlights the contradictory messages that North American society pushes out to women, and the resulting contradictions of women’s desires and actions that are reflected in their clothing. The analysis suggests that modes of comfort can be organized into four thematic groups: spatial, communal, culturally appropriate, and true. These types of comfort can be used as cultural capital in exchange for power and social mobility. The study outlines how women navigate social life through clothing and attempt to stretch the boundaries of a systematic habitus, but ultimately make choices that keep them within it. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Tullman, Kara LU
supervisor
organization
course
TKAM02 20231
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
comfort, clothing, material culture, habitus, cultural capital, North American women, female consumers, Bourdieu, market research, emotions.
language
English
id
9124610
date added to LUP
2023-06-27 13:21:58
date last changed
2023-06-27 13:21:58
@misc{9124610,
  abstract     = {{Through ethnographic analysis, this thesis investigates the ways in which North American women seek and experience different modes of comfort through their clothing. The material is drawn from a market research study that employs qualitative methods with a spectrum of women across the United States and Canada. Framed by Bourdieu’s practice theory and Latour’s actor- network theory, the text problematizes how the structure of a pre-determined habitus can be revealed through women’s clothing choices. It highlights the contradictory messages that North American society pushes out to women, and the resulting contradictions of women’s desires and actions that are reflected in their clothing. The analysis suggests that modes of comfort can be organized into four thematic groups: spatial, communal, culturally appropriate, and true. These types of comfort can be used as cultural capital in exchange for power and social mobility. The study outlines how women navigate social life through clothing and attempt to stretch the boundaries of a systematic habitus, but ultimately make choices that keep them within it.}},
  author       = {{Tullman, Kara}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Comfort through Clothing: North American women’s relationship with clothing through the lens of culture.}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}