Current Search: gender identity (x)
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- Title
- Establishing Difference: The Gendering and Racialization of Power in Genocide.
- Creator
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Welsh, Erin, Morales, Waltraud, Winton, Mark, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This thesis is designed to delve deeper into perceptions of identity, specifically gender and racial identity, the power relationship that emerges as each of these switches is reached in the progression towards genocide, and the effects of these perceptions during and after the genocide takes place. The primary question addressed is whether the power relationship that emerges as a result of these pre-genocidal stages becomes gendered and racialized due to perceptions rooted in a male...
Show moreThis thesis is designed to delve deeper into perceptions of identity, specifically gender and racial identity, the power relationship that emerges as each of these switches is reached in the progression towards genocide, and the effects of these perceptions during and after the genocide takes place. The primary question addressed is whether the power relationship that emerges as a result of these pre-genocidal stages becomes gendered and racialized due to perceptions rooted in a male-dominated hierarchy and a belief in the superiority of one ethnicity over another. The primary goal of this thesis is to analyze the power relationship in the pre-genocide and genocide stages between the perpetrator and the victim on the macro or group level and the micro or individual level. Using the case studies of the Balkan genocides, the Sudanese genocides of Nuba and Darfur, and the 1994 Rwandan genocide, this thesis will attempt to illustrate the idea that the identities of both perpetrator and victim are constructed in order for one to wield power over the other. Within each case study, genocidal tools such as genocidal rape, gendercide, propaganda and indoctrination are addressed in their relation to the gendering and racializing of power relationships in genocide. The effects of the Balkan, Sudanese, and Rwandan genocides are still felt by both survivors and perpetrators, and continue to play a role in how the groups relate to one another, and the case of the Sudanese genocides is still ongoing.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004297, ucf:49491
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004297
- Title
- UNDERSTANDING GENDER IDENTITY AMONG WOMEN COSPLAYERS OF THE GOTHAM CITY SIRENS.
- Creator
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Morrison, Amber, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As popular culture has an increasing presence in America, so do its various sub-cultures. One of such sub-cultures is the world of comic book fans known as cosplayers. Cosplayers dress-up and emulate characters at comic book conventions throughout the United States and the world�a practice known as cosplay, also described as costume-play. Despite the growing popularity of cosplay, little is known about this population. In this research, I set out to answer the following research question:...
Show moreAs popular culture has an increasing presence in America, so do its various sub-cultures. One of such sub-cultures is the world of comic book fans known as cosplayers. Cosplayers dress-up and emulate characters at comic book conventions throughout the United States and the world�a practice known as cosplay, also described as costume-play. Despite the growing popularity of cosplay, little is known about this population. In this research, I set out to answer the following research question: why are women choosing to dress-up and embody these characters (the Gotham City Sirens) when they are often viewed as oversexualized. In order to answer my research question, I focused on women who chose to cosplay characters from the Gotham City Sirens - Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy - who are frequently depicted in "glamorized" or hypersexualized illustrations. My data collection included participant observation, literature review, and semi-structured interviews. Recruiting participants from local Central Florida comic book conventions, I conducted 19 in-depth semi-structured interviews with the women cosplayers about their perspectives on the characters and their cosplays. My findings derived from the analysis of the interview narratives identified three emerging dominant themes - sexuality, body image, and personal identity. Based on this research, there is a concluding realization that empowerment and self-reflection are prevalent in women cosplayers. These are important findings because they are essential to the understanding of how gender identity is perceived in cosplay. When cosplayers connect with their characters on a personal level, often empowerment and self-reflection are the outcomes; due to the connection they foster with the character for the sake of performance.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFH0004757, ucf:45364
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004757
- Title
- Celebrities, Fans, and Queering Gender Norms: A Critical Examination of Lady Gaga's, Nicki Minaj's, and Fans' Use of Instagram.
- Creator
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Dieterle, Brandy, Vie, Stephanie, Brenckle, Martha, Salter, Anastasia, Pigg, Stacey, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This dissertation used queer rhetoric as a lens for studying queering gender norms on Instagram by using Lady Gaga's, Nicki Minaj's, and fan posts as case studies. The research considers how celebrities may use social media, like Instagram, for queering gender norms, and what this might look like. This research also aimed to better understand if and how fans may take up celebrities' efforts at queering gender norms and, in turn, queer gender norms in their own Instagram posts where they tag...
Show moreThis dissertation used queer rhetoric as a lens for studying queering gender norms on Instagram by using Lady Gaga's, Nicki Minaj's, and fan posts as case studies. The research considers how celebrities may use social media, like Instagram, for queering gender norms, and what this might look like. This research also aimed to better understand if and how fans may take up celebrities' efforts at queering gender norms and, in turn, queer gender norms in their own Instagram posts where they tag Gaga or Minaj. To conduct this research, I took a multimodal methodological approach and collected and coded 1,000 posts from Gaga and Minaj, respectively, and 1,000 posts that used the hashtag Gaga and another 1,000 posts that used the hashtag Minaj. My findings suggested that Gaga and Minaj do not engage in the queering of gender norms as frequently as anticipated, and when they do it is often in relation to their public, staged performances as musicians. Furthermore, Gaga also spoke on issues relating to gender and marriage equality whereas Minaj also spoke on issues relating to racial equality. The data collected on fans was inconclusive in part because of the large number of spam posts and also because, without interviewing fans, it was difficult to discern whether they were taking up celebrity messages in their posts given information shared in the photo and in the caption. However, I was able to note that, most often, fans were engaging with celebrities by expressing admiration. This research is useful for considering how gender performance manifests on Instagram, and possible ways celebrities can utilize Instagram to queer gender norms as well as promote other messages. With regard to fan posts, I argue for continued research in ways to support fans becoming critical rather than passive consumers of celebrity culture.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0006996, ucf:51623
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006996
- Title
- Pinning Motherhood: The Construction of Mothering Identities on Pinterest.
- Creator
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Griffin, Kate, Anthony, Amanda, Carter, Shannon, Grauerholz, Liz, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This research examines the new social media site, Pinterest, to uncover the processes through which mothers construct self- and public-identities. Despite being valued at over $3.8 billion dollars (Perez 2013), having an impressive user retention rate (Moore 2014), and having a highly gendered user base (Tekobbe 2013), Pinterest has been the site of limited sociological inquiry. Seventeen semi-structured qualitative interviews on mothering and Pinterest use were conducted with central Florida...
Show moreThis research examines the new social media site, Pinterest, to uncover the processes through which mothers construct self- and public-identities. Despite being valued at over $3.8 billion dollars (Perez 2013), having an impressive user retention rate (Moore 2014), and having a highly gendered user base (Tekobbe 2013), Pinterest has been the site of limited sociological inquiry. Seventeen semi-structured qualitative interviews on mothering and Pinterest use were conducted with central Florida mothers who have a Pinterest account and at least one child between 6 months and 10 years old. Through analysis based in a grounded theory approach, three central themes emerged from the data: (1) mothers negotiate motherhood ideals, perpetuated through Pinterest, through drawing on gendered ideologies; (2) mothers' use of Pinterest both supports and impairs construction of positive self-identities, complexly overlapping with concerns of technology overuse; and (3) the compartmentalized nature of Pinterest facilitates the activation of multiple identities which allow 'escapes' from the pressures of motherhood and everyday responsibilities. Insights derived from this research can also be helpful in explaining the overlaps between online and offline identities, how women manage motherhood ideals, and the compartmentalization of self-identities.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005340, ucf:50501
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005340
- Title
- Chasing "Plan A": Identity Development of First-Generation College Student-Athletes.
- Creator
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Warner, Alexandra, Anthony, Amanda, Grauerholz, Liz, Gay, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Student-athletes competing at the university level face a unique set of stressors, pressures, and experiences. While all students will inevitably face difficulties transitioning from high school to post-secondary education, collegiate athletes bear the burden of balancing at least two demanding public roles, student and athlete, along with other interpersonal relationships, such as friendships, familial ties, and connections with teammates and coaches. The current study examines the identity...
Show moreStudent-athletes competing at the university level face a unique set of stressors, pressures, and experiences. While all students will inevitably face difficulties transitioning from high school to post-secondary education, collegiate athletes bear the burden of balancing at least two demanding public roles, student and athlete, along with other interpersonal relationships, such as friendships, familial ties, and connections with teammates and coaches. The current study examines the identity development of college student-athletes and the challenges they face as they transition into and through their involvement in higher education and intercollegiate sports. This project in particular focuses on how the gendered experiences of student-athletes affects their identity development through the lens of Identity Control Theory. The data, drawn from in-depth interviews with 19 Division 1 first-generation student-athletes, explore how student-athletes balance their multiple roles, and thus negotiate their athletic performance, academic concerns, autonomy, and potential stereotypes. It is vital to determine the best practices for first-generation student-athlete success in order to promote positive socialization and encourage college completion through an understanding of what programs can better support student-athletes as students, athletes, and individuals.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006194, ucf:51088
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006194
- Title
- AT THE FRONTLINES OF THE KULTURKAMPF: SOCIAL POLICY POSITIONS OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT A LARGE UNIVERSITY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES.
- Creator
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Montanez, Julio, Fine, Terri, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Social policy concerns groups. Specifically, social policies have been implemented as a means to affect the well-being of sexual and gender minorities, including areas such as health, employment, violence, and many others. Undergraduate student opinions on such policies are an understudied area of survey research. Possible correlates of support for such policy areas include, but are not limited to, sexual prejudice, attributions, increased contact with the minority group, gender, Para-social...
Show moreSocial policy concerns groups. Specifically, social policies have been implemented as a means to affect the well-being of sexual and gender minorities, including areas such as health, employment, violence, and many others. Undergraduate student opinions on such policies are an understudied area of survey research. Possible correlates of support for such policy areas include, but are not limited to, sexual prejudice, attributions, increased contact with the minority group, gender, Para-social contact, and many others. This research administered a 55-item survey to undergraduate students at the University of Central Florida. With a sample of 210 individuals, this study aimed to answer the following research question. Which explanatory variables are most correlated with support for social policies and rights regarding sexual and gender minorities? Dimension reduction techniques were utilized to create three sub-scales that measure the dependent variable: Alternative Relationship Recognitions, Socio-Political and Economic Goals, and Basic Freedoms. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were reported, confirming the internal consistencies of the dimensions. Bivariate correlation analyses revealed a number of variables with consistent relationships to the dependent variable: sexual prejudice, attributions that view homosexuality as something with which an individual is born, support for abortion rights, partisan identification, ideology, religious affiliation, and religious attendance. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models further assessed the nature of the relationships; sexual prejudice was the most correlated with support for social policies and rights pertaining to sexual and gender minorities. Discussions of findings, limitations of this research, directions for future research, and empirical implications are provided accordingly.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFH0004533, ucf:45201
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004533
- Title
- I'm Not Your Waifu: Sexual Harassment and Assault in Cosplay, Anime (&) Comic Conventions.
- Creator
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Ellsworth, Alexandria, Huff-Corzine, Lin, Anthony, Amanda, Reckdenwald, Amy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Women face sexual harassment and sexual assault far too often with one in every six women sexually assaulted during their life (Tjaden (&) Thoennes, 1998). In the anime and comic community, women face sexual assault and harassment, often in open public spaces, due to these spaces being labeled as men's (Cote, 2015; Fox (&) Potocki 2015; Rodriguez 2015; Schott (&) Horrell 2000). Policies such as Cosplay is not Consent (Facebook, 2018) are not upheld or enforced by anime and comic conventions....
Show moreWomen face sexual harassment and sexual assault far too often with one in every six women sexually assaulted during their life (Tjaden (&) Thoennes, 1998). In the anime and comic community, women face sexual assault and harassment, often in open public spaces, due to these spaces being labeled as men's (Cote, 2015; Fox (&) Potocki 2015; Rodriguez 2015; Schott (&) Horrell 2000). Policies such as Cosplay is not Consent (Facebook, 2018) are not upheld or enforced by anime and comic conventions. Policies that are enforced, have clear and concise wording, and are enforced by staff and volunteers, who have been educated or trained to deal with sexual assault and harassment, may likely promote safer sexual assault and sexual harassment free anime and comic conventions. A total of 27 participants (20 women, 6 men, and 1 non-binary) were recruited via a snowball technique through Facebook social media groups. Participants were interviewed in-depth either face-to-face or through written interviews. The results showed that: (1) cosplay is a form of embodiment it does not negate the person's identity or bodily autonomy while wearing the cosplay; (2) women are generally the targets of sexual assault and harassment; (3) policies are often not enforced or enforced well due to lack of clear policies or consequences; (4) staff and volunteers are not educated, trained or equipped to deal with sexual assault and harassment; and 5) anime and comic convention organizers need to be responsible for helping to create safer environments for their attendees, staff, and volunteers.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007175, ucf:52281
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007175
- Title
- Rhetoric of Imagery: Gendering Identity and Consumption Throughout Interwar American Advertisment.
- Creator
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Delgado, Natalie, Dandrow, Edward, Crepeau, Richard, French, Scot, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Interwar American advertising rose alongside new levels of hygiene, personal appearance, and technology in order to sell their products to target audiences. Despite the abundance of scholarship on media and gender, few studies have examined the gendered techniques through which interwar advertisers communicated with consumers in response to changing social norms and economic stability. The question this thesis explores is how these changes and communication shifted in response to consumer...
Show moreInterwar American advertising rose alongside new levels of hygiene, personal appearance, and technology in order to sell their products to target audiences. Despite the abundance of scholarship on media and gender, few studies have examined the gendered techniques through which interwar advertisers communicated with consumers in response to changing social norms and economic stability. The question this thesis explores is how these changes and communication shifted in response to consumer culture and how advertisers utilized early market research and persuasion techniques to target their audiences. Building on the studies of gender, consumption, and identity, this thesis examines the relationship between American advertisers and their targeted male and female consumers between 1920 and 1940. By exploring how admen and women within Madison Avenue's top advertising agencies utilized psychology and consumer feedback to develop a two-way communication with middle-classed consumers, this thesis draws from social, cultural, and gendered studies to understand how advertisers communicated with and tried to appeal to their target audiences. Utilizing both copy and imagery as sources of communication, this study examines every issue of the top circulating American magazines between 1920 and 1940 to explain how advertisers rose with early consumer behavioral psychology and new standards of sanitation and hygiene, how a growing consumer culture and American notion of identity and gender affected the selling of selfhood and personal beauty products, and how gendered media representations and persuasion techniques helped advertisers sell modernity and individuality to readers. This analysis surveys specific advertising campaigns before, during, and after the Stock Market Crash to follow shifts in appeals to masculinity and femininity in response to changing social norms. By delving into this intersection of gender, media, and identity, this study finds various nuances through which advertisers and their audiences communicated in and alongside a growing consumer culture.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006870, ucf:51740
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006870
- Title
- Discovering Latent Gender Bias in Children's STEM Literature.
- Creator
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Herlihy, Christine, Campbell, Laurie, Butler, Malcolm, Gunter, Glenda, Grauerholz, Liz, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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A mixed method, exploratory, sequential research design was conducted to investigate the presence of latent bias in early childhood STEM literature content, applying a non-biased, sociocultural, STEM identity, theoretical framework. A survey of children's perceptions of gender and a content analysis found unintentional bias. Exploratory findings confirmed 102 children were gendering images. An examination of the relationship between the participants' gender and how the participant gendered...
Show moreA mixed method, exploratory, sequential research design was conducted to investigate the presence of latent bias in early childhood STEM literature content, applying a non-biased, sociocultural, STEM identity, theoretical framework. A survey of children's perceptions of gender and a content analysis found unintentional bias. Exploratory findings confirmed 102 children were gendering images. An examination of the relationship between the participants' gender and how the participant gendered AND preferred the images indicated differences existed between boys and girls. Children preferred images perceived as matching their own, with statistical significance. Girls were found to prefer images less than boys AND they were more likely to gender the images. Children were more likely to give gender to the 50 images considered in the study, than to non-gender them. The gendering and preference was found to be statistically significantly higher for anthropomorphic and personified inanimate images. Additionally, a content analysis of eight award winning and popular selling STEM children's books were conducted and were found to contain biased narratives and image content. A content analysis found significant differences relating to the frequency of character representation in the eight books. Analysis indicated a higher lexical representation of females to males, and image representation was more male than female. Further analysis of additional books and images is warranted from the findings of this exploratory study.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007890, ucf:52797
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007890
- Title
- A CONTACT ANALYSIS OF CALDECOTT MEDAL AND HONOR BOOKS FROM 2001-2011: EXAMINING GENDER ISSUES AND EQUITY IN 21ST CENTURY CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOKS.
- Creator
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Yello, Nicole, Hoffman, Ph.D., Elizabeth S., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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An abundance of research has been conducted about the importance of including books and literature as part of a young child's developmental process. Much of this research suggests that picture books are vital to a young child's healthy development and "are important influences that shape us by reflecting the politics and values of our society". This study was completed to analyze character roles and gender representation of male and female characters exclusively in children's picture books....
Show moreAn abundance of research has been conducted about the importance of including books and literature as part of a young child's developmental process. Much of this research suggests that picture books are vital to a young child's healthy development and "are important influences that shape us by reflecting the politics and values of our society". This study was completed to analyze character roles and gender representation of male and female characters exclusively in children's picture books. The entire population of Caldecott Award and Honor Medal books published between 2001 and 2011 was utilized for a frequency analysis. Each Caldecott Award and Honor Medal book meeting this study's criteria was examined, read and analyzed. Books included only works of fiction and were delimited to exclude biographies, autobiographies, informational books, concept books and poetry. A total of 24 books were used in the data analysis. This research attempted to answer the following question: Are males and females equitably represented in recently published children's literature? From a content-analysis approach, within a historical perspective, this research aimed at examining if gender bias still dominates the literature, and if so, to what extent. The intellectual interest of this project is in discovering male and female presence and imagery in children's picture books.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFH0004186, ucf:44840
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004186
- Title
- EXPLORING TRANSIENT IDENTITIES: DECONSTRUCTING DEPICTIONS OF GENDER AND IMPERIAL IDEOLOGY IN THE ORIENTAL TRAVEL NARRATIVES OF ENGLISHWOMEN, 1831-1915.
- Creator
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DeLoach, CarrieAnne, Stockdale, Nancy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Englishwomen who traveled to the "Orient" in the Victorian era constructed an identity that was British in its bravery, middle-class in its refinement, feminine in appearance and speech and Christian in its intolerance of Oriental heathenism. Studying Victorian female travel narratives that described journeys to the Orient provides an excellent opportunity to reexamine the diaphanous nature of the boundaries of the public/private sphere dichotomy; the relationship between travel, overt...
Show moreEnglishwomen who traveled to the "Orient" in the Victorian era constructed an identity that was British in its bravery, middle-class in its refinement, feminine in appearance and speech and Christian in its intolerance of Oriental heathenism. Studying Victorian female travel narratives that described journeys to the Orient provides an excellent opportunity to reexamine the diaphanous nature of the boundaries of the public/private sphere dichotomy; the relationship between travel, overt nationalism, and gendered constructions of identity, the link between geographic location and self-definition; the power dynamics inherent in information gathering, organization and production. Englishwomen projected gendered identities in their writings, which were both "imperially" masculine and "domestically" feminine, depending on the needs of a particular location and space. The travel narrative itself was also a gendered product that served as both a medium of cultural expression for Victorian women and a tool of restraint, encouraging them to conform to societal expectations to gain limited authority and recognition for their travels even while they embraced the freedom of movement. The terms "imperial masculinity" and "domestic femininity" are employed throughout this analysis to categorize the transient manipulation of character traits associated in Victorian society with middle- and upper-class men abroad in the empire and middle- and upper-class women who remained within their homes in Great Britain. Also stressed is the decision by female travelers to co-assert feminine identities that legitimated their imperial freedom by alluding to equally important components of their transported domestic constructions of self. Contrary to scholarship solely viewing Victorian projections of the feminine ideal as negative, the powers underlining social determinants of gender norms will be treated as "both regulatory and productive." Englishwomen chose to amplify elements of their domestic femininity or newly obtained imperial masculinity depending on the situation encountered during their travels or the message they wished to communicate in their travel narratives. The travel narrative is a valuable tool not only for deconstructing transient constructions of gender, but also for discovering the foundations of race and class ideologies in which the Oriental and the Orient are subjugated to enhance Englishwomen's Orientalist imperial status and position. This thesis is modeled on the structure of the traveling experience. In reviewing first the intellectual expectations preceding travel, the events of travel and finally the emotional reaction to the first two, a metaphoric attempt to better understand meaning through mimicry has been made. Over twenty travel narratives published by Englishwomen of varying social backgrounds, economic classes and motivations for travel between 1830 and World War I were analyzed in conjunction with letters, diaries, fictional works, newspaper articles, advice manuals, travel guides and religious texts in an effort to study the uniquely gendered nature of the Preface in female travel narratives; definitions of "travelers" and "traveling;" the manner in which "new" forms of metaphysical identification formulated what Victorian lady travelers "pre-knew" the "East" to be; the gendered nature in which female travelers portrayed their encounters with the "realities" of travel; and the concept of "disconnect," or the "distance" between a female traveler's expectation and the portrayed "reality" of what she experienced in the Orient.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001487, ucf:47101
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001487