Graduation Year
2008
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Granting Department
Women's Studies
Major Professor
Marilyn Myerson, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Kathryn Weedman Arthur, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Frances Auld, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Sara Crawley, Ph.D.
Keywords
Feminism, Second wave, Third wave, Gender, Femininity
Abstract
This paper explores how the "warrior woman" trope in western culture, as portrayed in late 20th century science fiction/fantasy and speculative television, reflects heteronormative/heterosexist discourses of femininity in American culture. First, I will examine feminine discourse in American culture, especially in the late 20th century. Then I will discuss how the tenets of second and third wave feminism influenced western paradigms of "the ideal female" and impacted pop culture by producing "warrior women" who both reflected and challenged heteronormative ideas and feminist principles. By examining several television shows produced in the United States and Great Britain from the late 1960s to 2007, I hope to show how the warrior woman trope has grown and changed under the influence of feminism and 20th century values.
Scholar Commons Citation
Clark, Leisa Anne, "I am Warrior Woman, Hear Me Roar: The Challenge and Reproduction of Heteronormativity in Speculative Television Programs" (2008). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/179
