Sociology of Work and Women, Work and Family, Annotated Bibliography Example

Campo, Natasha. 2009. “‘Feminism Failed Me’ Childcare, Maternity Leave and the Denigration of Motherhood.” Australian Feminist Studies.” 24(61).

In this article by Natasha Campo, the main premise is that the perceived role feminism of has been used to guide policy in Australia. Specifically, feminism has been used to support the notion that women do not want to be mothers, do not want to take time to be with their children, and certainly do not want to stay home with their children on maternity leave. The argument is – a real feminist would not want to engage in “typical” women’s work as a mother in the household. This has allowed the Australian government to exclude women from receiving maternity leave, denying both mothers and their children critical time together at the onset of a child’s life. The article continues to explain that this can be viewed as the Australian woman’s punishment for the sinful behavior of not wanting to be a cast in a traditional woman’s role. Campo makes it clear that women from all walks of life wish to be more engaged in being mothers, and a prominent figure in their children’s lives. This holds true whether or not the woman sees herself as emancipated or not. In this sense then, the author argues that using feminism to guide policy has simply revealed the failings of workplace and government policies.

Cohen, Emily Jane. 2005. Kitschen Witches: Martha Stewart: Gothic Housewife, Corporate CEO.” The Journal of Popular Culture. 38(4).

In this article, Emily Jane Cohen addresses the varying dichotomies apparent in U.S. culture that are exemplified in the person of Martha Stewart. As revealed in the airing of her dirty laundry, the public has had ample opportunity to get to know Martha Stewart – all of her the good and all of her bad. Cohen explains that Martha is the “queen of domesticity,” a ruthless executive, and she who wears the pants. She is both a romantic heroine and an incredibly independent woman. And per the article, she pushes everyone’s buttons. Stewart is seen as “witchy” in her multiple personas, yet perhaps she simply illustrates the truth of living in a culture struggling with lack of depth, as well as the ability to grasp an appropriate manner in which to categorize women’s roles. Cohen informs us that Martha Stewart sells nostalgia (Kitsch) as well as grit, and that we need not judge as put so eloquently, “Martha’s hypocrisy is America’s own.”

D’Enbeau, Suzy and Buzzanell, Patrice, M. 2013. “Constructing a feminist organization’s Identity in a competitive marketplace: The intersection of ideology, image, and culture.” Human Relations. 66(11): 1447–1470.

In this piece by Suzy D’Enbeau and Patrice Buzzanell, they contend that feminism has become a type of social cause that must answer to different organizational identities. The role of ideology is examined by these authors and explores how the feminist organization Moxie tends to show different sides of feminism, based on what the organization’s goals are, and who the particular stakeholders are. Moxie both “radicalizes and normalizes” feminist ideologies by ensuring that third-wave feminism has the ability to be the voice for advertisement, work processes, managerial objectives, business aims, and political agendas. Having a conversation on ideology, in relationship to feminism, allows for the analysis of identity, image, and culture to be analyzed in the context of feminist communication theory and best practices for organizations. This article promotes the usefulness of ideologically based organizations – in this case feminist, to consider how “alternative” concepts and processes can be utilized in varying environments.

Eldén, Sara. 2011. “The Threat or Promise of Popular Therapy? A Feminist Reading of Narratives of “the Good Couple.” NORA—Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research. 19(3): 144–162.

This article by Sara Eldén looks into the nature of popular therapeutic culture, as reflected in self-help books, TV shows, and on the internet. The premise of this piece is that traditional stereotypes reflected in the “good couple” should still be considered the norm. In this context, gender roles and stereotypes are held to a standard best suited to the past. In this view, Eldén strongly critiques Swedish popular therapeutic narrative for couples, implying that it is not only stereotyping, but also reinforces an institution based on achieving blissful heterosexual, gender-based, coupling through the right “couples work.”  Eldén brings to our attention the existence of considerable backlash to this ideology, which only serves to normalize an outdated and unequal (gendered) approach to intimacy. This is apparent through public criticism, as posted on websites, and serves to take that which has historically been discussed only within the private realm to a place for public analysis and debate.

Kates, Steven M. and Shaw-Garlock, Glenda. 1999. “The Ever Entangling Web: A Study of Ideologies and Discourses in Advertising to Women.” Journal of Advertising. 28(2): 33-49.

In this research by Steven Kates and Glenda Shaw-Garlock, the concept of culture is assessed for the manner in which it reproduces, and reinforces, the ideologies of the dominant culture, as institutionalized through linguistic tropes. They argue that cultural studies can add significantly to a postructural approach to the discipline of advertizing. In this sense, the main premise is that the traditional advertising communication model is now inefficient as a means to discuss “conventions that influence consumers’ decoding processes.”  The authors bring to light that the paradigm in advertising is shifting away from ad communication models to ad meaning models, based on pertinent social and commercial standards. Kates and Shaw-Garlock use the web metaphor to imply that people tend to find themselves entangled in webs of culturally constructed meaning – that have the capacity to continually shift and alter perceptions in relationships to advertising.

Matsuda, Hiroko. 2012. “America, modernity, and democratization of everyday life: Japanese Women’s magazines during the occupation period.” Inter-Asia Cultural Studies. 13(4).

The main argument of this article by Hiroko Matsuda is challenging assumptions made in other research, relating to Japanese postwar (1945–1952) legal reforms conducted under the GHQ/SCAP’s initiatives. These initiatives were intended, in part, to be used as a means for enhancing women’s rights in Japan. Yet, Matsuda’s stance is that the reforms have done much more than attempt to democratize gender relations in Japan in a solely legal capacity. In addition, the idea of democracy became an imbedded concept in women’s through stereotypical representation of the “American woman,” as reflected in Japanese women’s fashion magazines. This article informs us that democratization became confused with Americanization in postwar Japan – through the creation of reforms such as GHQ and SCAP. The notion of democracy in Japanese women’s magazines “failed to articulate democracy in the public sphere and democracy in everyday life.” Instead, the byproduct was a genderized notion of womanhood based on white middle-class American ideals.

McHugh, Kathleen. 1997. “One Cleans, the Other Doesn’t.” Cultural Studies. 11(1): 17-39.

In this article, Kathleen McHugh discusses the idea of differing of social practices, in this case cleaning, and what this has been made to mean in mainstream western culture. The primary point is that those who “clean” and who “are clean” – according to the ads most popular in the 1950’s – has served to inform psychoanalytic theory, feminist film and theory, and advertising and popular culture.  Through psychoanalytic theory and feminism the activity of cleaning (and the role of women cleaning) is encountered explicitly and critically through analysis of gender, race, and class-based ideologies. Through advertising and popular culture these ideologies are said to be expressed implicitly. Using ads as an example, this article provides an examination of the marketing of products such as Ivory Soap and Lysol. The commercials are used to demonstrate that that “women’s work” should not mar the delicate nature of a woman, or her fine hands. In either capacity, McHugh’s point is the same, in using gender, class and racial differences, a dichotomy is presented in which some women “clean for their social ‘betters’” explaining underlying social ideals of normalcy based on biological determinism.

Riordan, Ellen. 2001. “Commodified Agents and Empowered Girls: Consuming and Producing Feminism.” Journal of Communication Inquiry. 25(3): 279-297.

In the work conducted by Ellen Riorden, she examines what some have termed “‘pro-girl’ rhetoric.” This article addresses the use of this rhetoric in relationship to political economy and feminism. In this sense, the notion of a feminist consciousness is discussed through the emergence of the feminist movements, Riot Grrrl, comprised of primarily younger women. The “Riot Grrrl” type feminist movement stands out as quite different from the “pro-girl” type rhetoric. While the latter has become somewhat mainstream and popularized in the media, and essentially disempowers young women, the other contests this commodification of power in feminism. The author points out that the feminist movement, and feminine agency, is more suitably equipped to promote social change when conducted through the “Riot Grrrl” approach, rather than the watered-down approach seen in pro-girl rhetoric.

Stoever, Jennifer Lynn. 2006. “‘Haute Culture’ for Mail Order Missionaries: Representing The Third World Woman in the American Fashion Magazine.” Social Identities. 12(5): 595-613.

In this article, Jennifer Lynn Stoever takes a long and objective look at the women’s fashion magazine Marie Claire. It has been noted that historically this magazine was the bane of the evolved and liberated woman. Its views tended to be genderized, and it appeared to promote the stereotypical ideologies of the mainstream American woman. Nonetheless, Stoever informs us that the magazine has shifted its target audience and is pushing a different agenda. In the new version of Marie Claire, the publication seeks to link “Third Wave feminism, social activism, and identity construction via pop culture consumerism.” One of the main premises is that women can be an advocate for women’s rights worldwide. Yet, this article indicates that this is nothing more than false advertising – in a sense. Stoever further contends that this mainstream women’s magazine co-opts neofeminist language with the goal of promoting the privileged western ideology of liberal womanhood, or feminism.  This piece further asserts that Marie Claire is a “Schizophrenic Capitalist,” that promotes a Third Wave discourse that propagates a colonialist mentality. 

Winch, Alison. 2011. “‘Your new smart-mouthed girlfriends’: postfeminist conduct books.” Journal of Gender Studies. 20(4): 359–370.

In review of this article by Winch, she examines the conduct books What Not to Wear (Susannah Constantine and Trinny Woodall) and Skinny Bitch (Kim Barnouin and Rory Freedman). While the author spends more time analyzing Skinny Bitch, both are viewed from a similar perspective. Essentially, the main tenet is that these “best friends” promote themselves as experts in the realm of the neo-feminine. Skinny Bitch focuses primarily on using the tenets of feminist rhetoric to fight against multinational food industries, insisting that they make women unhealthy and fat. There is a great deal of shaming taking place between the pages of these magazines however, especially in reference to how women ought to look – in dress and size. Nevertheless, this article serves to inform us that these magazines are full of contradictory messages. On one hand they tout being thin and healthy. On the other hand, the message is one of being able to “have your cake and eat it too.” They promote the idea of sisterhood and not envying one another. Yet, this is followed by messages in support of competition, especially as manipulated through shame. As a last hurrah, Winch points out that Skinny Bitch “is typical of postfeminist popular culture where hyperbolic or ironic statements can be detracted with a laugh.”

References

Campo, Natasha. 2009. “‘Feminism Failed Me’ Childcare, Maternity Leave and the Denigration of Motherhood.” Australian Feminist Studies.” 24(61).

Cohen, Emily Jane. 2005. Kitschen Witches: Martha Stewart: Gothic Housewife, Corporate CEO.” The Journal of Popular Culture. 38(4).

D’Enbeau, Suzy and Buzzanell, Patrice, M. 2013. “Constructing a feminist organization’s identity in a competitive marketplace: The intersection of ideology, image, and culture.” Human Relations. 66(11): 1447–1470.

Eldén, Sara. 2011. “The Threat or Promise of Popular Therapy? A Feminist Reading of Narratives of “the Good Couple.” NORA—Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research. 19(3): 144–162.

Kates, Steven M. and Shaw-Garlock, Glenda. 1999. “The Ever Entangling Web: A Study of Ideologies and Discourses in Advertising to Women.” Journal of Advertising. 28(2): 33-49.

Matsuda, Hiroko. 2012. “America, modernity, and democratization of everyday life: Japanese Women’s magazines during the occupation period.” Inter-Asia Cultural Studies. 13(4).

McHugh, Kathleen. 1997. “One Cleans, the Other Doesn’t.” Cultural Studies. 11(1): 17-39.

Riordan, Ellen. 2001. “Commodified Agents and Empowered Girls: Consuming and Producing Feminism.” Journal of Communication Inquiry. 25(3): 279-297.

Stoever, Jennifer Lynn. 2006. “‘Haute Culture’ for Mail Order Missionaries: Representing the Third World Woman in the American Fashion Magazine.” Social Identities. 12(5): 595-613.

Winch, Alison. 2011. “‘Your new smart-mouthed girlfriends’: postfeminist conduct books.” Journal of Gender Studies. 20(4): 359–370.