dc.contributor.advisor | Davis, Robert Con, | en_US |
dc.contributor.author | Adams, Mary Elizabeth. | en_US |
dc.date.accessioned | 2013-08-16T12:18:09Z | |
dc.date.available | 2013-08-16T12:18:09Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2001 | en_US |
dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/11244/290 | |
dc.description.abstract | The popularity of beauty culture is a constant reminder of the ways in which the female body is associated with fear. The decisions regarding participation in beauty culture seem to revolve around the fear-inspired need to reiterate femininity while projecting an image of self-control. Using cultural theory and ethnography, I analyze the historical and contemporary position of the female body, showing how it has been so easily associated with fear and how beauty culture serves as a band-aid for that fear. Looking specifically at clinical beauty practices such as tanning salons, day spas, and cosmetics counters, I interview beauty employees and perform close readings of various cultural texts including advertisements, brochures, and physical environments. I then turn to contemporary women's novels, examining how a new generation of romances---including the very popular Bridget Jones novels by Helen Fielding---is dealing with female body fear. | en_US |
dc.description.abstract | Throughout this study, I investigate the structure which has allowed the contemporary hysteria of beauty. Using Elaine Showalter's three-part structure, I analyze the "physician enthusiasts and theorists; unhappy, vulnerable patients; and supportive cultural environments" which have resulted in beauty culture's long-standing power. Finally, I attempt to understand what women believe they are gaining from participation in beauty culture and compare these beliefs with those of some feminist critics. | en_US |
dc.format.extent | vi, 172 leaves ; | en_US |
dc.subject | Body image in women. | en_US |
dc.subject | Beauty, Personal Social aspects. | en_US |
dc.subject | American Studies. | en_US |
dc.subject | Feminine beauty (Aesthetics) | en_US |
dc.subject | Beauty shops Social aspects. | en_US |
dc.subject | Tanning salons Social aspects. | en_US |
dc.subject | Women's Studies. | en_US |
dc.title | Female fear: The body, gender, and the burdens of beauty. | en_US |
dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
dc.thesis.degree | Ph.D. | en_US |
dc.thesis.degreeDiscipline | Department of English | en_US |
dc.note | Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 62-02, Section: A, page: 0645. | en_US |
dc.note | Director: Robert Con Davis. | en_US |
ou.identifier | (UMI)AAI3004883 | en_US |
ou.group | College of Arts and Sciences::Department of English | |