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Title: "They Ain't No Spring Chickens!": A Cultural Analysis of Representations of Older Women in Everybody Loves Raymond.
Creator: Mercadai-Sabbagh, Trudy, Scodari, Christine, Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: This thesis examines how prime time television assigns traditional gender roles for older women through a case study of the award-winning sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, and strives to answer questions raised in regard to age/gender role representations. This study seeks, as well, to explore the ways in which the representations of older women on television and media articles about these television texts construct reality, and the extent to which prime time television reinforces stereotypical...
Show moreThis thesis examines how prime time television assigns traditional gender roles for older women through a case study of the award-winning sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, and strives to answer questions raised in regard to age/gender role representations. This study seeks, as well, to explore the ways in which the representations of older women on television and media articles about these television texts construct reality, and the extent to which prime time television reinforces stereotypical " realities" of older women. Though traditional effects theory looks at the ways in which individuals are influenced- or imitaterole models presented in the media, by concentrating on textual and paratextual analysis this study will concentrate on the subtle ways in which such constructions are interpreted by those that mediate between the text and the audience, such as critics and reviewers. Finally, this thesis posits the necessity of feminist theory in the field of communication when engaging in research that looks at the intersections of gender with issues of race, class and age.
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Date Issued: 2006
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000940
Subject Headings: Everybody Loves Raymond (Television program)--Criticism and interpretation, Aged in television--United States, Women in television--United States, Comedy programs--United States--Criticism and interpretation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Celebrating diversity through fashion? A cultural analysis of Tommy Hilfiger online.
Creator: Taylor, Adam D., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: Tommy Hilfiger is a popular fashion designer who incorporates a unique mix of style, patriotism and cultural diversity into the advertising and marketing of his products. But does his approach communicate true equality or divide Americans through race, class, and/or consumerism? Does his conceptualization of cultural diversity support ideals of multiculturalism or promote principles of assimilation? Tommy Hilfiger's official website, www.tommy.com, is analyzed from a cultural studies...
Show moreTommy Hilfiger is a popular fashion designer who incorporates a unique mix of style, patriotism and cultural diversity into the advertising and marketing of his products. But does his approach communicate true equality or divide Americans through race, class, and/or consumerism? Does his conceptualization of cultural diversity support ideals of multiculturalism or promote principles of assimilation? Tommy Hilfiger's official website, www.tommy.com, is analyzed from a cultural studies perspective to examine these questions. Political economic, cultural economic and semiotic theories are applied at the levels of production, text and consumption to reveal whether hegemonic or counter-hegemonic themes prevail. As a result, it is determined that hegemonic themes of white, Anglo-Americanism and consumerism do prevail, while counter-hegemonic messages of multiculturalism are less dominant. Findings also indicate that there is still much progress to be made in terms of achieving cultural equality in the United States.
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Date Issued: 2004
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13184
Subject Headings: Fashion--Social aspects, Internet advertising, Internet marketing, Multiculturalism, Fashion--Psychological aspects, Clothing and dress--Marketing, Hilfiger, Tommy
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Christian Rock Goes Mainstream: Youth Culture, Politics and Popular Music in the U.S.
Creator: Giagnoni, Silvia, Scodari, Christine, Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: The dissertation analyzes Christian rock that goes mainstream and aims to explain such a phenomenon within the contemporary cultural, social and political context. This cultural study acknowledges the inherent tendency of Christian rock “to cross over” as part of the Evangelical ideology in which it is rooted. It also views it as a symptom of the augmented power of conservative Evangelical groups in today’s American political and social climate and of the current, increased presence of...
Show moreThe dissertation analyzes Christian rock that goes mainstream and aims to explain such a phenomenon within the contemporary cultural, social and political context. This cultural study acknowledges the inherent tendency of Christian rock “to cross over” as part of the Evangelical ideology in which it is rooted. It also views it as a symptom of the augmented power of conservative Evangelical groups in today’s American political and social climate and of the current, increased presence of discourses around religion and, specifically, Christianity in the public arena. Hence, the research offers an historical understanding of the social, cultural and discursive changes that have occurred within American Christianity in relation to politics, society and culture since Christian rock’s first appearance as an expression of the Jesus People movement of the 1970s, with the aim of better comprehending the nature of the contemporary crossover phenomenon. Additionally, the study considers rock as a discursive formation, interprets Christian rock as a primarily countercultural phenomenon and addresses the questions its crossover poses. Thus, it explores dimensions and issues highly debated in cultural studies concerning authenticity, resistance, generic labeling, lyrical content, pleasure, and experience. Specifically, it looks at Christian rock “fragments” as receptacles for a multitude of meanings that are constantly negotiated in public discourses. The research finally examines the music industry (marketing strategies, publications, distribution deals, and so forth) in relation to these phenomena, and reports on the interviews with emerging crossover Christian rock bands and other people operating in the industry. By investigating it as part of the larger endeavor of Evangelicals to impact and transform American culture and society, it is illustrated how Christian rock is able today to provide an alternative version of popular music to their own young people and to reach non-believers as well; this suggests further research and, specifically, the necessity of audience analysis, and concomitantly raises thought-provoking questions related to cultural theory. The study also demonstrates how Christian rock, an apparently oxymoronic manifestation of rock culture, is actually reproducing its very logic, thus catalyzing cultural change and symptomatically reflecting neoconservative cultural hegemony and ultimately supporting an emerging definition of rock.
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Date Issued: 2007
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000981
Subject Headings: Contemporary Christian music--United States, Popular culture--Religious aspects, Popular music--United States--History and criticism, Rock music--Political aspects, Popular music--Social aspects, Christian rock music--History and criticism
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: New Age or new opiate? A cultural analysis of "The Celestine Prophecy".
Creator: Greenspan, Deborah Sue., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: The Celestine Prophecy is a popular new age novel which has attracted an audience numbering in the millions. Looking at this book from both the political and cultural economic perspectives allows us to analyze economic factors behind the book's production, the text itself, and the ways the audience uses the text. From these perspectives we can see what produced this cultural phenomenon, and examine alternative meanings that readers of the text may find in it. Issues of hegemony, diversity and...
Show moreThe Celestine Prophecy is a popular new age novel which has attracted an audience numbering in the millions. Looking at this book from both the political and cultural economic perspectives allows us to analyze economic factors behind the book's production, the text itself, and the ways the audience uses the text. From these perspectives we can see what produced this cultural phenomenon, and examine alternative meanings that readers of the text may find in it. Issues of hegemony, diversity and domination are explored, as is the "structure of feeling" of the text. How the audience uses or resists the ideas incorporated in the novel is also studied.
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Date Issued: 1997
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15462
Subject Headings: Redfield, James--Criticism and interpretation., Redfield, James.--Celestine prophecy., Communication--Political aspects--United States., Communication--Economic aspects--United States., Popular culture--United States--History--20th century.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: False reflections: Appearance esteem attacks in advertising in "Cosmopolitan", "Working Woman", "GQ", and "Maxim".
Creator: Trust, Rhonda Ilene., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: This thesis examines the advertisements in Cosmopolitan, Working Woman, Maxim, and GQ that qualify as Appearance Esteem (AE) ads. AE ads attack women and/or men in terms of self esteem based in appearance. A content analysis combined with a textual analysis produced results which show that women are attacked more directly, and more personally than men. The results demonstrate that the AE ads help to establish narrow standards of appearance for both women and men in society, however it is...
Show moreThis thesis examines the advertisements in Cosmopolitan, Working Woman, Maxim, and GQ that qualify as Appearance Esteem (AE) ads. AE ads attack women and/or men in terms of self esteem based in appearance. A content analysis combined with a textual analysis produced results which show that women are attacked more directly, and more personally than men. The results demonstrate that the AE ads help to establish narrow standards of appearance for both women and men in society, however it is argued that these messages may lead to negative health behaviors, lower self confidence, and an unhealthy obsession to maintain one's appearance.
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Date Issued: 2001
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12750
Subject Headings: Women consumers, Women in advertising, Advertising--Social aspects, Advertising, Magazine
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Flesh impressions: Television texts of cosmetic surgery and audience negotiation.
Creator: Hutton, Heather O'Neil., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: Both incredibly personal and inherently social, cosmetic surgery procedures intended to reconfigure the body toward a more culturally acceptable physicality and the increase in television representations of the phenomenon provoke a complex debate regarding the social, psychological, medical and ethical implications of such practices. This thesis raises the question: Do television texts of cosmetic surgery and their potential consumers reproduce or challenge the hegemony of cosmetic surgery as...
Show moreBoth incredibly personal and inherently social, cosmetic surgery procedures intended to reconfigure the body toward a more culturally acceptable physicality and the increase in television representations of the phenomenon provoke a complex debate regarding the social, psychological, medical and ethical implications of such practices. This thesis raises the question: Do television texts of cosmetic surgery and their potential consumers reproduce or challenge the hegemony of cosmetic surgery as a cultural practice? Using qualitative, social scientific methodology to analyze current examples of such television texts and study viewer negotiation of these texts, the study concludes that television texts are most likely to present cosmetic surgery in ways that perpetuate hegemonic notions of beauty, and that while viewers may negotiate readings that suit their preconceived notions of cosmetic surgery, they are unlikely to condemn such messages for fear of compromising an individual's power to choose cosmetic surgery for "acceptable reasons" such as improved self-esteem or social acceptance.
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Date Issued: 2004
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13127
Subject Headings: Surgery, Plastic--Social aspects, Body image--Social aspects, Mass media--Research, Mass media--Audiences
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Identities for sale: Advertising's construction of the ideal teenage girl in "Teen", "Seventeen," and "YM".
Creator: Puritz, Judi Anne., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: This essay examines the messages embedded in the advertisements appearing in 'Teen, Seventeen and YM. A combined multi-textual analysis followed by detailed semiotic study of paradigmatic cases helped to unearth several key themes in the advertisements. It was possible to determine that 'Teen, Seventeen, and YM construct an image of the ideal teenage girl, one primarily concerned with beauty, fashion and romance. Given the fact that many young girls turn to these publications for guidance, it...
Show moreThis essay examines the messages embedded in the advertisements appearing in 'Teen, Seventeen and YM. A combined multi-textual analysis followed by detailed semiotic study of paradigmatic cases helped to unearth several key themes in the advertisements. It was possible to determine that 'Teen, Seventeen, and YM construct an image of the ideal teenage girl, one primarily concerned with beauty, fashion and romance. Given the fact that many young girls turn to these publications for guidance, it is argued that the messages put forward in these texts may have a profound effect on the social reality of their readers.
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Date Issued: 1995
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15144
Subject Headings: Mass media and teenagers, Advertising--Psychological aspects, Symbolism in advertising, Advertising, Magazine--Social aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Production of meaning in a gendered environment: A communication study of nurses in management.
Creator: Summerlot, Lisa A., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: This study explores the ways in which female nurses in management negotiate their roles within the male dominated institutions of medicine and administration. Our culture provides to this highly gendered profession a dominant construction of unambiguous identities for both management and nursing. The principles of semiology and feminist media criticism are used to show that negotiation with dominant messages takes place in lived reality in ways that are very similar to the negotiation in...
Show moreThis study explores the ways in which female nurses in management negotiate their roles within the male dominated institutions of medicine and administration. Our culture provides to this highly gendered profession a dominant construction of unambiguous identities for both management and nursing. The principles of semiology and feminist media criticism are used to show that negotiation with dominant messages takes place in lived reality in ways that are very similar to the negotiation in which consumers of media texts engage. Nine interview transcripts of nurses in management positions were analyzed for evidence of negotiated decodings of dominant meanings. The analysis reveals the presence of preferred readings, oppositional readings and resistive readings of the dominant construction of identities with an emphasis on the oppositional reading.
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Date Issued: 1997
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15515
Subject Headings: Nurse administrators, Sex role in the work environment, Feminism
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Politics, citizenry, and tabloid-style journalism: The case of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal.
Creator: Pradines Stein, Amber Nicole., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: Tabloids, often defined by the half-broadsheet size of regular newspapers, feature titillating, sensationalized stories of crime and/or scandal offered in a piquant manner. The exploratory study asks how the tabloid style was manifested in the coverage of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal of 1998 and related news, thereby fostering a hegemony in which the citizenry was distracted from more important political issues and events. The study also assesses how a critique of such tabloidization...
Show moreTabloids, often defined by the half-broadsheet size of regular newspapers, feature titillating, sensationalized stories of crime and/or scandal offered in a piquant manner. The exploratory study asks how the tabloid style was manifested in the coverage of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal of 1998 and related news, thereby fostering a hegemony in which the citizenry was distracted from more important political issues and events. The study also assesses how a critique of such tabloidization developed among journalists and scholars during the scandal. The print media analyzed are the tabloids Star magazine, The National Enquirer, and Globe , and mainstream media The New York Times and Newsweek. This study demonstrates that even the mainstream, "objective" reporting reflected sensationalism, the use of piquant and highly cliched language, and a lust for scandal, rendering it nearly indistinguishable from stories in the reviled tabloids. The related critique, led by journalists and extending to scholars who provided greater insight, precision, and elaboration, focused on the influence of the Internet and an increasingly competitive 24-hour media environment in fueling tabloidesque coverage of the scandal. The escalation of tabloid-style reporting in mainstream publications proved to be a troubling symptom of an industry already struggling under public distrust.
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Date Issued: 2005
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13255
Subject Headings: Clinton, Bill,--1946-, Lewinsky, Monica S--(Monica Samille)--1973-, Mass media--Political aspects--United States--History--20th century, Mass media--Moral and ethical aspects, Press and politics, Journalism--Objectivity, Sensationalism in journalism
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Reaching a new breed of donors: Strategic communication for attracting baby boomers as major donors to public institutions of higher education.
Creator: Stephens, Katie Gustafson., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: Maturing baby boomers are moving into prime giving years and, if history repeats itself, this generation will change the "philosophy of giving." These aging baby boomers will amass significant wealth either through inheritances or their successful businesses. It is therefore critical that professional fundraisers identify how to effectively communicate with the affluent members of this generation to develop them into major donors. Using a qualitative approach through in-depth interviews, this...
Show moreMaturing baby boomers are moving into prime giving years and, if history repeats itself, this generation will change the "philosophy of giving." These aging baby boomers will amass significant wealth either through inheritances or their successful businesses. It is therefore critical that professional fundraisers identify how to effectively communicate with the affluent members of this generation to develop them into major donors. Using a qualitative approach through in-depth interviews, this research examines characteristics and traits of baby boomers, identifying seven common themes that can be used to develop communication strategies. It concludes that affluent baby boomers demand accountability from charitable organizations and value meaningful experiences. They are focused on personal accomplishments and are deeply family oriented. Messages must be concise and delivered by those respected by the donor. High-tech media are preferred.
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Date Issued: 2000
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12725
Subject Headings: Baby boom generation, Educational fund raising, Gifts--Psychological aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A content and textual analysis of the "BBC World News" and "CNN Headline News" online services: Frames and news sources in coverage of the second Palestinian intifada.
Creator: El Tuhami, Hanadi S., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: Through content and textual analysis, the thesis compares coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the BBC World News and CNN Headline News online services in terms of source selection patterns and framing. The study concluded that both the publicly owned BBC and its commercial counterpart, CNN, perpetuated hegemony by limiting the range of opinions and ideas regarding the conflict. Although both news organizations showed signs of being independent from their respective governments'...
Show moreThrough content and textual analysis, the thesis compares coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the BBC World News and CNN Headline News online services in terms of source selection patterns and framing. The study concluded that both the publicly owned BBC and its commercial counterpart, CNN, perpetuated hegemony by limiting the range of opinions and ideas regarding the conflict. Although both news organizations showed signs of being independent from their respective governments' official perspectives regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, they indirectly assisted in maintaining the status quo, U.S. hegemony, by narrowing the news source list and focusing on the more sensationalistic aspects of the conflict. In so doing, they deflected attention away from important issues of historical and political significance that, if told, would offer a different and more illuminating interpretation of events.
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Date Issued: 2003
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13074
Subject Headings: News Web sites., Online journalism., Al-Aqsa Intifada, 2000---In mass media., Communication in politics.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A narrative analysis of "The Miami Herald"'s coverage of the Elian Gonzalez saga.
Creator: Caravella, Kristi D., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: This study examines the coverage of an event that took place mostly in Miami, Florida and was reported on by The Miami Herald for more than six months. There are several issues that are addressed in this thesis. The primary hypothesis of this analysis is that the coverage of the Elian Gonzalez custody battle as it appeared in The Miami Herald uses the same narrative techniques as those used in fictional melodrama or soap operas. John Fiske's theory of melodrama as developed from Brown (1987)...
Show moreThis study examines the coverage of an event that took place mostly in Miami, Florida and was reported on by The Miami Herald for more than six months. There are several issues that are addressed in this thesis. The primary hypothesis of this analysis is that the coverage of the Elian Gonzalez custody battle as it appeared in The Miami Herald uses the same narrative techniques as those used in fictional melodrama or soap operas. John Fiske's theory of melodrama as developed from Brown (1987) and a similar model used by Fiske (1987) is used to compare the specified piece of news coverage with generic soap opera narrative elements. The historical and political backgrounds of the Miami-Cuban community are integral factors in this news phenomenon---their roles in this controversy are thoroughly analyzed. Serious implications occurred as a result of this coverage; they are discussed in the conclusion of this thesis.
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Date Issued: 2001
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12808
Subject Headings: González, Elián,--1993---Press coverage, Miami herald (Miami, Fla), Journalism--Objectivity--Florida--Miami, Cuban Americans--Public opinion
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: From presidential wife to leader in her own right? The media's representation of Hillary Rodham Clinton and the feminine ideal.
Creator: Oxner, Amy Carol., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: This thesis examines how the media depicted First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton when she stepped outside of the traditional feminine roles of wife and/or mother and into the traditionally masculine/public world with her bid to run for the office of United States Senator from New York. It critically examines the cover, cover story images, and textual representations in Newsweek, Time, and New York magazines by means of a feminist semiotic and rhetorical analysis to discern potential meanings....
Show moreThis thesis examines how the media depicted First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton when she stepped outside of the traditional feminine roles of wife and/or mother and into the traditionally masculine/public world with her bid to run for the office of United States Senator from New York. It critically examines the cover, cover story images, and textual representations in Newsweek, Time, and New York magazines by means of a feminist semiotic and rhetorical analysis to discern potential meanings. The research concludes that the media circumscribe limited roles for First Ladies. First Ladies continue to be shown as victim, object, and/or appendage of a more powerful male, even when they consider political office. Therefore, it is argued that the media have a profound role in defining political women through the perpetuation of hegemonic constructions of femininity.
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Date Issued: 2003
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13088
Subject Headings: Clinton, Hillary Rodham--In mass media, Women politicians--Press coverage, Presidents' spouses--United States, Feminism and mass media
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Investigating "The X-Files": Fandom and the creation of meaning in cyberspace.
Creator: Felder, Jenna L., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: This thesis focuses on the fandom surrounding the FOX network's hit show, The X-Files, via a long term study of an America Online site specifically devoted to the show. The primary focus is on audience opinions in relation to gender issues. Specific topics of analysis include why The X-Files is so popular with fans, the different types of episodes exhibited in season six, the character of Dana Scully, Mulder and Scully's platonic yet sexually charged relationship, and the contribution the...
Show moreThis thesis focuses on the fandom surrounding the FOX network's hit show, The X-Files, via a long term study of an America Online site specifically devoted to the show. The primary focus is on audience opinions in relation to gender issues. Specific topics of analysis include why The X-Files is so popular with fans, the different types of episodes exhibited in season six, the character of Dana Scully, Mulder and Scully's platonic yet sexually charged relationship, and the contribution the Internet has made to the development of the fan community. The analysis finds that, although the show is targeted toward men, female fans are able to find various aspects of the text pleasurable by resisting hegemonic norms and/or utilizing the show's feminine textual characteristics.
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Date Issued: 1999
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15663
Subject Headings: X-files (Television programs)--History and criticism., Fans (Persons), Electronic discussion groups.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Communicating space and time perception and ideology in online texts.
Creator: Dushi, Nava., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: This thesis emerges from the realization of the paradox that lies beneath online technology which promises to change the way we think, yet penetrates our lives by employing a systematic simulation of our most basic cognitive skills. In order to understand this paradox in terms of space and time, the research examines the ways in which time and space are communicated on two disparate Internet websites. The assembled data are analyzed using an interdisciplinary approach that leads to a textual...
Show moreThis thesis emerges from the realization of the paradox that lies beneath online technology which promises to change the way we think, yet penetrates our lives by employing a systematic simulation of our most basic cognitive skills. In order to understand this paradox in terms of space and time, the research examines the ways in which time and space are communicated on two disparate Internet websites. The assembled data are analyzed using an interdisciplinary approach that leads to a textual analysis based in theories of semiotics. The study finds that the Internet is fundamentally framed in spatial terms. The space bias is ideologically significant; commercial websites use it to produce a textual environment that assimilates the user and, thus, enables the promotion of conspicuous consumption.
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Date Issued: 2002
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12905
Subject Headings: Mass media--Semiotics, Internet--Social aspects, Digital media, Mass media and culture
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Envirotronically speaking: A case study of dis-identification in online industrial and oppositional discourse about global warming.
Creator: Kattoura, Mark A., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: Corporations such as Exxon Mobil and environmentalist groups such as Greenpeace realize the potential of the Internet from a public relations standpoint. They have taken their industrial and oppositional discourse about global warming online through campaigns meant to appear motivated by grassroots impulses but which, as in the case of Exxon Mobil, are often motivated by profit. This study combines rhetorical and media studies approaches in performing semiotic analysis of online texts related...
Show moreCorporations such as Exxon Mobil and environmentalist groups such as Greenpeace realize the potential of the Internet from a public relations standpoint. They have taken their industrial and oppositional discourse about global warming online through campaigns meant to appear motivated by grassroots impulses but which, as in the case of Exxon Mobil, are often motivated by profit. This study combines rhetorical and media studies approaches in performing semiotic analysis of online texts related to global warming. It concludes that corporations and environmentalists are making innovative use of this new medium in communicating their respective ideologies, but that corporate texts reflect signs and strategies that obscure their sources' primary locus on profit and are, consequently, less transparent.
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Date Issued: 2003
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13057
Subject Headings: Greenpeace International, Issues management, Global warming, Internet in public relations
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Un-resistive reproduction? Medical hegemony, pregnancy, and reality television.
Creator: Bruno, Serena R., Florida Atlantic University, Scodari, Christine
Abstract/Description: A new trend of unscripted, reality television programming chronicling the real-life childbirth experiences of American women and families has gained considerable ground in recent years. These programs, especially Discovery Health's BirthDay and The Learning Channel's A Baby Story, record, edit and broadcast the prenatal, childbirth, and postnatal health care of "everyday" women volunteers, including their physical, social, and emotional concerns. This research study focuses attention on the...
Show moreA new trend of unscripted, reality television programming chronicling the real-life childbirth experiences of American women and families has gained considerable ground in recent years. These programs, especially Discovery Health's BirthDay and The Learning Channel's A Baby Story, record, edit and broadcast the prenatal, childbirth, and postnatal health care of "everyday" women volunteers, including their physical, social, and emotional concerns. This research study focuses attention on the authoritative, technological and therefore, medically hegemonic perspective of this type of programming, illuminating through content, textual, focus group, and survey analyses the abundance of medically hegemonic meanings in both the discursive and visual aspects of these texts as well as the negotiations of their target audience.
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Date Issued: 2005
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13300
Subject Headings: Reality television programs, Mass media and culture, Television program genres, Television--Social aspects, Childbirth, Television--Psychological aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A Feminist Cultural Study of Identity, Hair Loss, and Chemotherapy.
Creator: Guillerm, Celine, Scodari, Christine, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: The main aim of this dissertation is to discuss the way women negotiate the cultural meaning of hair loss, alopecia, as a result of undergoing chemotherapy, and to understand, accordingly, how cancer's cultural effects regarding women can be deeply different from those of men. Very few studies have been done about the cultural impact and resonance of alopecia. It is often regarded as "secondary" to other effects of chemotherapy. Because, in many cultures, head hair for women expresses or...
Show moreThe main aim of this dissertation is to discuss the way women negotiate the cultural meaning of hair loss, alopecia, as a result of undergoing chemotherapy, and to understand, accordingly, how cancer's cultural effects regarding women can be deeply different from those of men. Very few studies have been done about the cultural impact and resonance of alopecia. It is often regarded as "secondary" to other effects of chemotherapy. Because, in many cultures, head hair for women expresses or manifests attractiveness and power, to be bald is to be deprived of the ability to fit into society, whether in the public or private sphere. The study examines the representation of such women in the media, audience/subject responses to these representations, and interrogates women's identities and representations in terms of Laura Mulvey's theory of the male gaze. Women who have experienced chemotherapy-induced alopec ia were interviewed in this regard. Other contributive feminist, cultural and/or media studies works, such as those by Suzanna Walters, Susan Bordo, Naomi Wolf, Donna Haraway, Stuart Hall, Kimberle Crenshaw, and Judith Butler, help facilitate the analysis. From these perspectives, a historical analysis takes into consideration the symbolic dimension of hair, especially women's head hair, within Western cultural history, particularly in France and a multicultural America. In addition, a textual analysis looks at women, cancer, and hair loss as represented in popular culture characters and personalities. The study insists on the necessity for women to resist to the culture industries and deconstruct the male gaze, as well as the female gaze, which can both contribute to, and perpetuate women's objectification.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004502, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004502
Subject Headings: Baldness -- Psychological aspects, Body image, Cancer -- Psychosomatic aspects, Cancer -- Treatment -- Complications, Feminine beauty (Aesthetics), Identity (Psychology), Self esteem in women
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The “closed world” of the exotic leelo singers: the representation and reception of the title character and other Seto women in the film Taarka.
Creator: Kirch, Kerli, Scodari, Christine, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: This thesis utilizes a multi-perspectival cultural and media studies approach analyzing the production, filmic text, and reception of Taarka, the first film about Setos, that is advertised as a (docu)drama. However, the analysis shows that it can also be interpreted as an ethnographic film. It examines which intersecting identities related to Seto women are depicted in the film and whether audiences and critics recognize the power dynamics of these intersections. It also analyses how the...
Show moreThis thesis utilizes a multi-perspectival cultural and media studies approach analyzing the production, filmic text, and reception of Taarka, the first film about Setos, that is advertised as a (docu)drama. However, the analysis shows that it can also be interpreted as an ethnographic film. It examines which intersecting identities related to Seto women are depicted in the film and whether audiences and critics recognize the power dynamics of these intersections. It also analyses how the Estonian cultural economic environment, the filmic text, audience comments and critics reviews reinforce or challenge hegemonies connected with these intersections. Drawing on the principles of postcolonial feminism, intersectionality, and other critical theories, the thesis concludes that even though the filmic text challenges traditional gender roles, it still reinforces the Estonians’ one-sided portrayal of an exotic, commodified Seto ethnicity. Moreover, the cultural economic environment and reception of the film also bolster this view of Seto ethnicity.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004209, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004209
Subject Headings: Estonia -- Social life and customs, Ethnographic films -- Estonia, Folk songs, Estonian, Minorities in motion pictures, Taarka (Motion picture)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The “Shepard” will guide us: a textual analysis of hegemonic reinforcement and resistance in the mass effect video game series.
Creator: Gonzalez, Maricruz, Scodari, Christine, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: Mass Effect is a Science Fiction/Action Role Playing/Third Person Shooter video game series that takes place in the year 2183, in which the player assumes control of Commander Shepard. Players can choose to customize the character based on his/her gender, appearance, sexual orientation, background origin and occupation. The choices that show up in the game are also based on how the player wants their version of Shepard to interact with other characters and allows players some leeway to shape...
Show moreMass Effect is a Science Fiction/Action Role Playing/Third Person Shooter video game series that takes place in the year 2183, in which the player assumes control of Commander Shepard. Players can choose to customize the character based on his/her gender, appearance, sexual orientation, background origin and occupation. The choices that show up in the game are also based on how the player wants their version of Shepard to interact with other characters and allows players some leeway to shape their own narrative. The series also discusses and acknowledges issues of race, gender, subjecthood and sovereignty, politics and sexual orientation within its narrative. This analysis focuses on the text of the series and its implications concerning hegemonic reinforcement and/or resistance in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, politics, and warfare tactics.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004288, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004288
Subject Headings: Computer games -- Social aspects, Electronic games -- Social aspects, Feminist theory, Gender identity in mass media, Mass Effect video game -- Social aspects, Mass media and culture, Sex role, Video games -- Moral and ethical aspects, Video games -- Social aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

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