COP 6 Proposal

Name:

Sophie Hargreaves

E-mail:

Sh110155@students.leeds-art.ac.uk

SUBJECTS OF CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH ALREADY UNDERTAKEN

Level 4:

How do Metal Album Covers Differ from Pop Album Covers?

Level 5:

How has the female role changed in the last 100 years?

AIM AND/OR OBJECTIVE OF YOUR PROPOSED C.O.P.3 PROJECT:

How has feminism changed with each ‘wave’?

1.     What research needs to be undertaken into the general and specific contexts of your practice?

What each ‘wave’ of feminism was about and what it was trying to achieve Social/political factors that influenced changes New technologies that have influenced change in society and furthermore, feminism ideals How feminism has influenced society and attitudes towards issues such as gender, race etc.

2.     What approach(es) will you take and what processes, methods, materials and  tools  are to be involved in research into your practice? ·       Familiarise myself with the specifics of the history of feminism through reading books, essays and journals ·       Seek out any notable documentaries or films ·       Research popular culture/icons/movements that had an influence on the way feminism adapted. E.g. the punk movement influenced the ‘Riot Grrrl’ subculture, which involved DIY ethic, zines and activism. ·       Ask people what they think feminism is about and whether they think it is still relevant ·       Compare the issues feminism deals with today, with the issues it dealt with in its first wave – are they the same and is there a wider understanding of whom it affects?

3.     What preparation or investigations do you need to undertake for your creative practice to take place?

·       Find out what kind of imagery/ephemera is already being made in relation to feminism? (zines, posters etc) ·       Think about how I can extend the range of ‘products’ that are being made in response to feminism and why they are being made – to promote/raise awareness? To unify? ·       Prominent illustrators/practitioners dealing with a similar topic?

4.     What research do you need to undertake regarding who your creativity is for?

·       Who does feminism affect? ·       Why might some people shy away from feminism? Uneducated/don’t understand? ·       Can a specific age group be targeted to further the feminist cause? ·       How can it be made more accessible and appealing to a specific age group? Will it belong in schools? Shops?

Primary Sources of Information
1.         Description	Peer Questionnaire
Location	College or perhaps town centre for a wider range of results
2.         Description	Feminist zines/ephemera
Location	Etsy, Zine fairs/conventions, http://grrrlzines.tumblr.com/
3.         Description	Feminist films?
Location

Secondary Sources of Information
1.	Documentaries (e.g. MissRepresentation, After Tiller, Dark Girls)
2.	Books/Journals/Papers (e.g. Gender Role Attitudes, Third Wave Feminism; A Case Study etc)
3.	Websites (e.g. thefword.com, everydayfeminism.com, bitchmedia.org)
4.	Online Videos/Youtube channels
5.	Feminist speeches (e.g. “We Should All Be Feminists” Adichie, C.)
6.

Perceived problems or difficulties: Quite a broad topic, need to make sure when writing I allow myself to do an in-depth analysis of the information I have selected rather than trying to include everything Use sources that might contradict each other (or that offer alternative reasons etc) to create a balanced, inquisitive argument/piece of writing.

Idea 4

The effect women's magazines have on modern society

5 Quotes:

1. "In the mid-1970s feminist attention to girls' and women's magazines saw the magazines as exemplifying oppression. The glossy advertisements did nothing but convince readers of their own inadequacies while hooking them into the consumer culture on the promise that they could buy their way out of bodily dissatisfaction and low self-esteem."(McRobbie, 1997)
2. "They try to convince their readers that there is nothing more important than sex and having a boyfriend and that alongside this only the world of shopping and consumption offers opportunities for leisure and enjoyment." (McRobbie, 1997)
3. "Gayle Letherby has discussed the issue of ‘the self’ in feminist research, describing how feminists ‘insist’ that the researcher cannot separate themselves from their ‘emotional involvement’ in their work and that subjectivity must therefore be embraced" (Norval, 2011)
4. "for many readers, women's magazines are a genre that helps pass empty time, that are easily put aside when other things need to be done and that sometimes offer stories or information that may strengthen the reader for a while" (Hermes, 1995)
5. "Readers are, on occasion, empowered by magazines, which may provide them with the opportunity to imagine 'perfect selves. " (Hermes, 1995)

• McRobbie, A. (1997). Back to reality?. Manchester [England]: Manchester University Press.
• Norval, E. (2011). Research into Women's Magazines and the Social Construction of Womanhood. [online] p.9. Available at: http://media.leeds.ac.uk/files/2011/12/Emily-Norval1.pdf [Accessed 2 Jun. 2015].
• Hermes, J. (1995). Reading women's magazines. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

5 locations/places:

• Newsagents/news stands
• General stores/supermarkets 
• Waiting-rooms
• Television
• Billboards
• Tea Rooms

5 Websites:

1. http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/
2. http://www.womenshealthmag.co.uk/
3. http://www.lady.co.uk/
4. http://www.cyber-heritage.co.uk/women/
5. http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/

5 relevant/inspiring images:

5 Sketches:

Idea 3

The Female Role in Video Games

5 Quotes:

1. "The vast majority of female characters have been found to be non-playable, meaning they cannot be played by the gamer. This suggests a female secondary status in video games" (Burgess, Stermer and Burgess) 
2. "a sample of 669 action, shooter, and role-playing games selected by EEDAR in 2012,only 24 (4%) had an exclusively female protagonist, and 300 (45%) provided the option of selecting one" (Burgess, Stermer and Burgess)
3. "The Princess may be seen as the female counterpart of the hero. For males, she is that which the hero lacks in all of the games." (Sherman)
4. "Every girl I asked responded instantly that she played the princess in this sequel. Boys on the other hand, play Luigi or Toadstool." (Sherman)
5. "It is through the process of socialization that boys and girls are encouraged to adopt and develop certain personality traits that are often referred to as masculine and feminine." (Dietz, 1998)
6. "video games that are being played by today's youth present an overwhelmingly traditional and negative portrayal of women and that the development of gender identities and expectations among youngsters may be affected by these portrayals. For example, girls may expect that they will continue to be victims and needy and that their responsibilities include maintaining beauty and sexual appeal while boys may determine that their role is to protect and defend women and to poses them even through the use of violence." (Dietz, 1998)

• Sherman, Sharon R. 'Perils Of The Princess: Gender And Genre In Video Games'. Western Folklore 56.3/4 (1997): 243. Web.
• Burgess, Melinda C. R., Steven Paul Stermer, and Stephen R. Burgess. 'Sex, Lies, And Video Games: The Portrayal Of Male And Female Characters On Video Game Covers'. Sex Roles 57.5-6 (2007): 419-433. Web. 1 June 2015.
• Dietz, T. (1998). An Examination of Violence and Gender Role Portrayals in Video Games: Implications for Gender Socialization and Aggressive Behavior. Sex Roles, 38(5/6), pp.425-442.

5 locations/places:

• Arcades
• Home/Living room/Bedrooms
• Game stores
• Game & comic conventions
• General entertainment stores/supermarkets

5 Websites:

1. http://feministfrequency.com/tag/tropes-vs-women-in-video-games/
2. http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Women_Characters_in_Video_Games
3. https://www.youtube.com/user/feministfrequency
4. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/commentisfree/2014/feb/19/video-games-need-more-women-female-characters
5. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/18/52-percent-people-playing-games-women-industry-doesnt-know
6. http://fortune.com/2014/09/23/10-powerful-women-video-games/
7. https://medium.com/@adrianchm/women-and-video-games-f0eb7a7d75fa

5 relevant/inspiring images:

5 Sketches:

Idea 2

The Change of Gender Roles in Society

5 Quotes:

1. " Gender is constructed by every socializing agent and force in society: parents, teachers, the media, religion, and so on" (Basow and Basow, 1992)
2. "After an egalitarian peak in 1994, gender attitudes fell until the end of the century. Two of the questions show a moderate resurgence since 2000, one has changed little, and the fourth has continued to decline in this century. Nevertheless, the overall patterns clearly break into two broad eras: a uniform trend toward less traditional gender roles during the 1970s and 1980s, but only small and shifting changes since the mid-1990s" (Cotter, Hermsen and Vanneman, 2011)
3. "Children learn at a very early age what it means to be a boy or a girl in our society. Through myriad activities, opportunities, encouragements, discouragements, overt behaviors, covert suggestions, and various forms of guidance, children experience the process of gender role socialization. It is difficult for a child to grow to adulthood without experiencing some form of gender bias or stereotyping, whether it be the expectation that boys are better than girls at math or the idea that only females can nurture children. As children grow and develop, the
   gender stereotypes they are exposed to at home are reinforced by other elements in their environment and are thus perpetuated throughout childhood and on into adolescence (Martin, Wood, & Little, 1990). " (Witt, 2015)
4. "Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage"(Adichie, C. 2013)
5. "The problem with gender is that is prescribes how we should be, rather than how we are"(Adichie, C. 2013)
6. "We raise girls to see each other as competitors - not for jobs or accomplishments, which I think would be a good think - but for the attention of men"(Adichie, C. 2013)
7. "We priase girls for virginity, but we don't praise boys for virginity" (Adichie, C. 2013)

• Adichie, C. (2013). We Should All Be Feminists. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg3umXU_qWc [Accessed 26 Jan. 2015].
• Witt, S. (2015). Parental Influence On Children's Socialization to Gender Roles. [online] Cla.calpoly.edu. Available at: http://cla.calpoly.edu/~bmori/syll/311syll/Witt.html [Accessed 29 May 2015].
• Cotter, D., Hermsen, J. and Vanneman, R. (2011). The End of the Gender Revolution? Gender Role Attitudes from 1977 to 2008 1.American Journal of Sociology, 117(1), pp.259-289.
• Basow, S. and Basow, S. (1992). Gender. Pacific Grove, Calif.: Brooks/Cole Pub. Co.

5 locations/places:

• Public restrooms
• Homes
• Outside/Streets/town
• Newspapers/Magazines
• T.V/News reports
• Live Performances

5 Websites:

1. https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-textbook/gender-and-sexuality-15/gender-414/gender-and-sociology-296-12831/
2. http://www.open.edu/openlearn/body-mind/proper-men-proper-women-gender-roles-contemporary-uk-society
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QthMrCqspww
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujGqiZIarAY
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLEzImJQ-O0
6. http://picslist.com/tags/rights

5 relevant/inspiring images:

5 Sketches:

Idea 1

How has feminism changed with each 'wave'?

5 Quotes: 

1. "...Many of the essays were personal and reflective, recounting the difficulties of working in departments as the first and only woman professor. These feminists defied blatant sexism and existing cultural norms against working women to fulfill their potential as intelligent, independent people. I was moved by the dedication to literary studies that initially led to many women to attend graduate school, where they often faced an unreceptive academia dominated by male scholars. " (Heywood and Drake, 1997)
2. "It was at this moment that I realised to the fullest my indebtedness to second wave feminism - all of the female instructors of undergraduates whose brilliance and support fostered by eventual career in English studies were part of the second wave feminist movement. If not for the vital social and political work of these women, I might not have been in a position to consider even the possibility of obtaining a doctoral degree." (Heywood and Drake, 1997)
3. "Today many people confuse feminism as being weaker than it was 30 years ago, but that is only because feminism has become more powerful in our personal lives and therefore, people misinterpret this as being weaker in the public, but it's just more 'everyday'." (Feminist.com, 2015)
4. " As Third Wavers react to the theories and politics of Second Wave feminism (feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s), Third Wave feminist publications express ways in which young feminists negotiate the cultural terrain of late 20th century and early 21st century America" (Conrad, 2001)
5. "Many Third Wave feminists came of age during the late 1970s and early 1980s, during a time when extreme music-based, pop-culture movements, such as punk rock, had great power. The cultural history of punk music is built upon anti-establishment ideologies, including the belief that commercial media is a capitalist tool of oppression and exploitation. Punk rock – the music and the culture – is inherently revolutionary, questioning authority and homogenous, capitalistic society. The DIY aesthetic of punk led to an explosion of underground zines in the 1970s and 1980s, which connected political and cultural revolutionaries"  (Conrad, 2001)
6. "second-wave feminists developed their feminism through both identifying and disidentifying with their feminist 'foremothers'." (Henry, 2004)
7. "eminism is being re-shaped by its articulation through a global discourse of human rights and an increased focus on state interventions. This is partly a result of the transition in the gender regime changing the economic and political resources and opportunities open to women and partly due to globalization" (Walby, 2002)

Walby, S. (2002). Feminism in a global era. Economy and Society, 31(4), pp.533-557.

Henry, A. (2004). Not my mother's sister. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Conrad, L. (2001). Third Wave Feminism, A Case Study of BUST Magazine. 1st ed. [ebook] California, p.2. Available at: http://grrrlzines.net/writing/Conrad_thesis.pdf [Accessed 29 May 2015].

Feminist.com, (2015). ASK AMY: FEMINISM. [online] Available at: http://www.feminist.com/askamy/feminism/fem160.html [Accessed 29 May 2015].

Heywood, L. and Drake, J. (1997). Third wave agenda. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

5 locations/places:

• City/town centers (at protests/demonstrations)
• The workplace
• Live entertainment/ performances
• The home - where people feel safest and can be themselves
• Schools/Colleges/Universities

5 Websites:

1. http://www.feminist.com/
2. http://www.thefword.org.uk/
3. http://everydayfeminism.com/
4. http://feministing.com/
5. http://thefeministwire.com/
6. https://bitchmedia.org/
7. http://ungfeminist.tumblr.com/

5 relevant/inspiring images:

5 Sketches:

L6 Proposal Ideas

Potential areas for enquiry:

• 3rd Wave Feminism
• Gender roles and equality (similar to above?)
• "Meninism" - a result of misandry or people who just don't understand feminism?
• The female role in popular entertainment (TV, video games, film etc)

These areas for enquiry are quite broad at the moment. I want to continue writing about feminist issues, but I don't want to just re-hash my essay from level 5. Currently I am swaying towards looking at the female role in popular entertainment.