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Gender, power, interpellation and body image: Creating consumer subjectivities in "Mode Magazine"

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Date Issued:
2001
Summary:
Images of beauty are social constructs that exist in historical contexts and are subject to change. A correlation may be made between social inequality and how images of beauty are used to maintain the status quo. Mode Magazine is an unique fashion magazine that depicts women of different sizes. This thesis examines how "realistically sized" images of women are represented, and whether representation challenges beauty hegemony. It critically examines both visual and non-visual textual representations using Hall's encoding/decoding model to discern potential meanings. It evaluates advertisements and articles for how women are interpellated by the text. It concludes by asserting that although counter-hegemonic elements are present, Mode's message is hegemonic. Mode posits that women can be realistically-sized and beautiful as long as they participate in all other aspects of beauty consumption and culture by purchasing the products and fashions showcased in the magazine.
Title: Gender, power, interpellation and body image: Creating consumer subjectivities in "Mode Magazine".
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Name(s): Bolla, Danielle D.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2001
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 111 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Images of beauty are social constructs that exist in historical contexts and are subject to change. A correlation may be made between social inequality and how images of beauty are used to maintain the status quo. Mode Magazine is an unique fashion magazine that depicts women of different sizes. This thesis examines how "realistically sized" images of women are represented, and whether representation challenges beauty hegemony. It critically examines both visual and non-visual textual representations using Hall's encoding/decoding model to discern potential meanings. It evaluates advertisements and articles for how women are interpellated by the text. It concludes by asserting that although counter-hegemonic elements are present, Mode's message is hegemonic. Mode posits that women can be realistically-sized and beautiful as long as they participate in all other aspects of beauty consumption and culture by purchasing the products and fashions showcased in the magazine.
Identifier: 9780493398822 (isbn), 12827 (digitool), FADT12827 (IID), fau:9702 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Adviser: Chris Scodari.
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2001.
Subject(s): Anthropology, Cultural
Women's Studies
Mass Communications
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12827
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.