In recent years, novels centring on female characters form Greek mythology have quickly grown into a popular subgenre. Many of these novels use their mythological sources as a backdrop to focus on...Show moreIn recent years, novels centring on female characters form Greek mythology have quickly grown into a popular subgenre. Many of these novels use their mythological sources as a backdrop to focus on feminist issues, revising classical narratives to show the continuity of feminist concerns. This is typically done by shifting the focus away from male characters who recieve most attention in their classical sources and focussing instead on female characters who have been pushed to the margins or silenced entirely. This thesis uses Alicia Ostriker's term "feminist revisionist mythmaking" to describe how adaptation of Greek mythology can be used to bring forth silenced voices of female characters and simultaneously speak out against patriarchy and oppression of women. With this in mind, three recent feminist revisionist novels are analysed: Circe by Madeline Miller, The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, and Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes. These novels are part of the wave of feminist revisionist retellings following the rise of the #MeToo movement and an argument is made that the movement's concerns are reflected in the novels. This thesis aims to show that revisions of Greek mythology can be used as a potent vehicle for feminist issues of today, not in spite of their ancient source material, but precisely because the seeds of these issues are already present in Greek myths themselves.Show less
Within this thesis, the morality of the objectification of women within social media is explored. First of all, the theoretical perspectives on objectification are examined through a feminist lens....Show moreWithin this thesis, the morality of the objectification of women within social media is explored. First of all, the theoretical perspectives on objectification are examined through a feminist lens. It is found that there is a considerable debate within the scholars. Some are of the opinion that objectification is always morally wrong, and others believe that it is dependent on the context in which it occurs. Next, the criteria necessary for the context are developed and analyzed through some examples. Finally, these criteria are applied to social media, and it is discovered that not all criteria are met. This indicates that a negative form of objectification has occurred which can be harmful. The conclusion is drawn that the objectification of women within social media is morally unacceptable.Show less
This research discusses whether male authors sexually objectify their female characters in comparison to female authors. This was done by analysing two classic and two contemporary fiction novels...Show moreThis research discusses whether male authors sexually objectify their female characters in comparison to female authors. This was done by analysing two classic and two contemporary fiction novels each by male and female American authors. These novels were chosen because of their similarities and because they feature a male protagonist who narrates the story. The novels were analysed for phrases used to describe the female characters appearance and these descriptions were compared to the novels of the opposite gender to check for any sexual objectification. The results revealed that male authors were more likely to sexually objectify their female characters in comparison to female authors. However, due to the size of this research, more research must be done to understand the scale and nuances of this.Show less
This paper is the first in-depth analysis of the digital artwork ‘Humanoid’ (2021) by Jennie Feyen. By utilizing primarily the theoretical frameworks of Laura Mulvey and Kai Baldwin in order to...Show moreThis paper is the first in-depth analysis of the digital artwork ‘Humanoid’ (2021) by Jennie Feyen. By utilizing primarily the theoretical frameworks of Laura Mulvey and Kai Baldwin in order to unpack the bodily portrayal of the figure in the name of ‘Humanoid’, this paper offers a distinctive reading of the artwork in relation to male gaze theory and the notion of digitized body. Through the multi-sensory analysis, the problematic representation of the female body and also an ideal representation of the genderless body in ‘Humanoid’ will be revealed. This paper will demonstrate the dualism of the digital space by referring to its power dynamics and also proposing an alternative body for representing the self.Show less
In the summer of 2023, the Dutch Ministry will launch a feminist foreign policy. We expect this to be a mainly liberal feminist foreign policy. This is comparable to current efforts in name of...Show moreIn the summer of 2023, the Dutch Ministry will launch a feminist foreign policy. We expect this to be a mainly liberal feminist foreign policy. This is comparable to current efforts in name of feminism in Dutch foreign policy, as well as the feminist foreign policies of Sweden, Canada and France. In this thesis, we explore if and how such a liberal feminist foreign policy aligns with stakeholder perspectives on what a feminist foreign policy should entail. By using Q-methodology, we ask respondents to rank statements on foreign policy from perspectives rooted in liberal-, cultural-, socialist-, intersectional- and postcolonial feminist theory. We conclude that respondents rank liberal feminist statements the lowest. Rather, respondents argue for a Dutch feminist foreign policy that prioritizes perspectives rooted in intersectional- and postcolonial feminism.Show less
Victim blaming after a rape still happens, women should not dress like a ‘slut’ otherwise they might get raped and if a woman enjoys sex, she is a ‘slut’. The SlutWalk movement stands up against...Show moreVictim blaming after a rape still happens, women should not dress like a ‘slut’ otherwise they might get raped and if a woman enjoys sex, she is a ‘slut’. The SlutWalk movement stands up against these problems from a feminist perspective. The research question of this thesis is what is the difference between the perception of indigenous and white feminism on la Marcha de las Putas in Ecuador? With the following hypothesis: the concerns and ideas of indigenous women in Ecuador are not taken into account within la Marcha de las Putas, this results in a lack of representation within the SlutWalk movement. The main goal of feminism is equality between men and women. The earlier definition of feminism, written by De Beauvoir (1949) and Butler (1988) will be complemented with the many, contemporary, forms of feminism by, along with others, Ross (2009) and Stefanovici (2016). Feminism in Latin America and indigenous feminism in Ecuador specifically is researched by Bastain Duarte (2012), Sternbach et al (1992) and Hernández Castillo (2002; 2010). The historical and cultural context of the SlutWalk is studied by, among others, O’Keefe (2014) and Healicon (2013). For some women, it is hard to reclaim the word ‘slut’ based on negative historical connections with the word and there is stated that the SlutWalk is a white feminist movement. There is too little research about the connection between indigenous feminism and the SlutWalk. Therefore the case study will be a content analysis of the manifest of la Marcha de Las Putas in Ecuador, whereby the use of the words ‘puta’ and ‘nos’ are being analyzed. The problems indigenous women have with the SlutWalk are not addressed in the manifest, the word ‘puta’ is reclaimed without thinking of the consequences for some women and race and ethnicity is not addressed at all. There is a lack of inclusivity within la Marcha de las Putas in Ecuador.Show less
This thesis examines the use of a patriarchal system as a default in fantasy literature, and it critically explores the possibility of creating more equal systems – such as a matriarchal one that...Show moreThis thesis examines the use of a patriarchal system as a default in fantasy literature, and it critically explores the possibility of creating more equal systems – such as a matriarchal one that is not merely the mirror image of patriarchy – within the worldbuilding of fantasy novels. It does so by comparing the patriarchal system in Mervyn Peake's Titus Groan (1946), to the matriarchal system in Samantha Shannon's The Priory of the Orange Tree (2019).Show less
This thesis entails a historical comparative analysis of the three feminist waves, based on a historical literary analysis, and is exemplified by three case studies that illustrate each specific...Show moreThis thesis entails a historical comparative analysis of the three feminist waves, based on a historical literary analysis, and is exemplified by three case studies that illustrate each specific time period. The historical analysis and the case studies are then compared in order to evaluate historical changes and developments. Through this, the following research question is answered, ‘What does a historical comparative analysis of four women between the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries show with regard to the effects of changing domesticity values on the roles of women in American higher education?’ The women chosen for the case studies both diverged from, and conformed to social rules in their time period, thereby illustrating which rules exactly were in place. Therefore, the effects that these expectations had on women in higher education are illustrated as well. The term domesticity that is used in this thesis is derived from the Cult of Domesticity that was present in the 18th and 19th centuries, prohibiting women from entering the public sphere in any way. The effects that domesticity had on women in higher education is evaluated through mechanisms of femininity and masculinity, the ‘duality of education’ by Anderson-Faithful and Goodman, and the ‘feminist dilemma’ by Joan Scott. These themes show that domesticity has influenced women in higher education, and continues to do so, despite improvements in women’s social and legal rights.Show less
