| Alternative Femininities: Body, Age and Identity Contributor(s): Holland, Samantha (Author), Eicher, Joanne B. (Editor) |
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ISBN: 1859738087 ISBN-13: 9781859738085 Publisher: Berg Publishers OUR PRICE: $46.48 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: June 2004 Annotation: Imagine a world where oppressive, over-feminized media images of women have re-armed themselves with army boots, body modifications, and flamboyant hair. Is this just another fairy tale, and if so, why can't it be a reality? Holland unpacks the myth of model womanhood and considers how a group of real women define and practice "femininity." How does aging affect notions of femininity? What do women think about fashion, gender, and appearance as they grow older and less visible in our media dominated society? Do they choose to tone down or stay "out there," and what motivates their choice? "Alternative Femininities" gives voice to a previously silent group of women who struggle to resist sexist gender stereotypes, yet age with style, individuality and creativity. By looking at how real women negotiate self-perception in an increasingly image-conscious society, Holland provides a corrective to other accounts of gender and femininity lacking in real data. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Women's Studies - Health & Fitness | Beauty & Grooming - General |
| Dewey: 305.42 |
| LCCN: 2004006544 |
| Series: Dress, Body, Culture (Paperback) |
| Physical Information: 0.49" H x 6.18" W x 9.18" (0.77 lbs) 256 pages |
| Themes: - Sex & Gender - Feminine |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Imagine a world where the oppressive, over-feminized images of women from advertising, television, films, and magazines have re-armed themselves with army boots, body modifications, and flamboyant hair. Is this just another fairy tale, and if so, why cant it be a reality? In Alternative Femininities, Samantha Holland unpacks the myth of model womanhood and considers how a particular group of real women define and practise femininity. These women, who see themselves as 'alternative', modify and subvert popular images of femininity. The choices they make in clothing, appearance and body modifications enable them to construct a personal look that is intimately tied to self-identity. Getting the balance right between over-femininity and not being feminine enough is a frequently voiced concern. Holland also addresses head-on the much-neglected issue of how ageing impacts on notions of femininity. What do these women think about fashion, gender and appearance as they grow older and less visible in our media-dominated society? Do they choose to tone down or stay out there, and what motivates their choice? A revealing look at contemporary femininity, Alternative Femininities gives voice to a previously silent group of women who struggle to resist sexist gender stereotypes, yet age with style, individuality and creativity. By looking at how real women negotiate self-image in an increasingly appearance-conscious society, Holland has provided a much-needed corrective to theoretical accounts of gender and femininity lacking in real data. |
Contributor Bio(s): Eicher, Joanne B.: - Joanne B. Eicher is Regents Professor Emerita at the University of Minnesota. Joanne is Editor-in-Chief, Encyclopedia of Dress and Fashion (Bloomsbury and OUP); Series Editor, Dress, Body Culture (Bloomsbury); Author, Editor, Co-Editor, The Visible Self, (Fairchild); Dress and Gender (Berg); Dress and Ethnicity (Berg); Beads and Beadmakers (Berg); Mother, Daughter, Sister, Bride (National Geographic); a wide variety of published articles in professional journals and chapters in books. |