The study of social, psychological, cultural and economic modes of oppression is an area of resea... more The study of social, psychological, cultural and economic modes of oppression is an area of research that merits serious attention. In medical, criminal and legal contexts, knowledge claims made by researchers remain central to cultural constructions of deviance, disease, dysfunction, and notions of “abnormality. ” In this commentary, I offer a critical feminist perspective on the discussion presented by authors Bearman, Korobov, and Thorne (2009) in their analysis of internalized sexism. My primary critique of the work draws attention to the problematic reproduction of dominant discourses of sexism. I argue that the language, content, and conclusions offered by the researchers replicate a historical positioning of female subjects as pathological. Initial considerations by the authors of power dynamics as they take shape in language, identity performance and structural relations are largely absent from the final analysis of participant behavior and the conclusions that follow. This ...
The study of social, psychological, cultural and economic modes of oppression is an area of resea... more The study of social, psychological, cultural and economic modes of oppression is an area of research that merits serious attention. In medical, criminal and legal contexts, knowledge claims made by researchers remain central to cultural constructions of deviance, disease, dysfunction, and notions of “abnormality.” In this commentary, I offer a critical feminist perspective on the discussion presented by authors Bearman, Korobov, and Thorne (2009) in their analysis of internalized sexism. My primary critique of the work draws attention to the problematic reproduction of dominant discourses of sexism. I argue that the language, content, and conclusions offered by the researchers replicate a historical positioning of female subjects as pathological. Initial considerations by the authors of power dynamics as they take shape in language, identity performance and structural relations are largely absent from the final analysis of participant behavior and the conclusions that follow. This d...
In this commentary on “You Are Not Your Own:” Rape, Sexual Assault, and Consent in Evangelical Ch... more In this commentary on “You Are Not Your Own:” Rape, Sexual Assault, and Consent in Evangelical Christian Dating Books (Moon, 2014; see this present issue of JISS), we invite a feminist extension of the author’s primary argument that religious institutions are vital sites for investigating the reproduction and maintenance of sexist attitudes. We critically analyze the findings introduced in this study and discuss the contributions of this work to continued research on social justice issues and examinations of sex, gender and sexuality as they relate to the circulation of power at institutional and individual levels in society. In her work Moon (2014) calls attention to multiple ways in which traditional religious discourse, specifically Evangelical Christian discourse, contributes to the perpetuation of rape myths. The focus on language as a cultural system for communication and meaning making analyzes the construction of gender with regard to sexual scripts and gender role expectati...
Historical approaches to girlhood provide a basis for understanding changing cultural ideologies ... more Historical approaches to girlhood provide a basis for understanding changing cultural ideologies of sex, sexuality, and youth. While situating sexual desire, biological possibilities, and social responses to girls' engagement in sexual intercourse at the center of its plot, the film Juno depicts the transgressive sexual agency of a young girl without substantially disrupting longstanding discourses of femininity. Through an analysis of the semiotics of girlhood within the film, I argue that the girl figure in this representation signifies an amalgam of two traditionally dichotomized conceptions of ''femininity.'' Juno serves as a particularly intriguing example of the ways in which adolescent female sexuality is conceptualized within popular western culture during the early part of the 21st century.
... Popular representations of s-heroes establish a direct connection to adult female discourses ... more ... Popular representations of s-heroes establish a direct connection to adult female discourses of the Super-mom or Super-woman; s-heroes signify a link between girls' lives and their intricate connection to adult cultural discourses of 'womanhood'. ...
The study of social, psychological, cultural and economic modes of oppression is an area of resea... more The study of social, psychological, cultural and economic modes of oppression is an area of research that merits serious attention. In medical, criminal and legal contexts, knowledge claims made by researchers remain central to cultural constructions of deviance, disease, dysfunction, and notions of “abnormality. ” In this commentary, I offer a critical feminist perspective on the discussion presented by authors Bearman, Korobov, and Thorne (2009) in their analysis of internalized sexism. My primary critique of the work draws attention to the problematic reproduction of dominant discourses of sexism. I argue that the language, content, and conclusions offered by the researchers replicate a historical positioning of female subjects as pathological. Initial considerations by the authors of power dynamics as they take shape in language, identity performance and structural relations are largely absent from the final analysis of participant behavior and the conclusions that follow. This ...
The study of social, psychological, cultural and economic modes of oppression is an area of resea... more The study of social, psychological, cultural and economic modes of oppression is an area of research that merits serious attention. In medical, criminal and legal contexts, knowledge claims made by researchers remain central to cultural constructions of deviance, disease, dysfunction, and notions of “abnormality.” In this commentary, I offer a critical feminist perspective on the discussion presented by authors Bearman, Korobov, and Thorne (2009) in their analysis of internalized sexism. My primary critique of the work draws attention to the problematic reproduction of dominant discourses of sexism. I argue that the language, content, and conclusions offered by the researchers replicate a historical positioning of female subjects as pathological. Initial considerations by the authors of power dynamics as they take shape in language, identity performance and structural relations are largely absent from the final analysis of participant behavior and the conclusions that follow. This d...
In this commentary on “You Are Not Your Own:” Rape, Sexual Assault, and Consent in Evangelical Ch... more In this commentary on “You Are Not Your Own:” Rape, Sexual Assault, and Consent in Evangelical Christian Dating Books (Moon, 2014; see this present issue of JISS), we invite a feminist extension of the author’s primary argument that religious institutions are vital sites for investigating the reproduction and maintenance of sexist attitudes. We critically analyze the findings introduced in this study and discuss the contributions of this work to continued research on social justice issues and examinations of sex, gender and sexuality as they relate to the circulation of power at institutional and individual levels in society. In her work Moon (2014) calls attention to multiple ways in which traditional religious discourse, specifically Evangelical Christian discourse, contributes to the perpetuation of rape myths. The focus on language as a cultural system for communication and meaning making analyzes the construction of gender with regard to sexual scripts and gender role expectati...
Historical approaches to girlhood provide a basis for understanding changing cultural ideologies ... more Historical approaches to girlhood provide a basis for understanding changing cultural ideologies of sex, sexuality, and youth. While situating sexual desire, biological possibilities, and social responses to girls' engagement in sexual intercourse at the center of its plot, the film Juno depicts the transgressive sexual agency of a young girl without substantially disrupting longstanding discourses of femininity. Through an analysis of the semiotics of girlhood within the film, I argue that the girl figure in this representation signifies an amalgam of two traditionally dichotomized conceptions of ''femininity.'' Juno serves as a particularly intriguing example of the ways in which adolescent female sexuality is conceptualized within popular western culture during the early part of the 21st century.
... Popular representations of s-heroes establish a direct connection to adult female discourses ... more ... Popular representations of s-heroes establish a direct connection to adult female discourses of the Super-mom or Super-woman; s-heroes signify a link between girls' lives and their intricate connection to adult cultural discourses of 'womanhood'. ...
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