Women's Studies 2161A/B Lecture 4: Class and Femininity on Reality TV

• School: Western University
• Department: Women's Studies
• Course: Women's Studies 2161A/B
• Professor: Nichole Edwards

Document Summary

Class and femininity on reality tv (september 26th, 2016) Distribution inequality formed around the basis of capitalism expressed by economic differentiation. Capital: economic income/accumulated wealth, political power you have to influence public and political process, *cultural edu(cid:272)atio(cid:374) le(cid:448)el, taste, lifest(cid:455)le (cid:894)i(cid:374) toda(cid:455)"s (cid:272)ultu(cid:396)e, (cid:272)ultu(cid:396)al (cid:272)apital has arguably become most important) Femininity as a site of commodification and consumption. Neoliberal femininity about continually refashioning an appropriately feminine self. A(cid:271)out st(cid:396)i(cid:448)i(cid:374)g fo(cid:396) a (cid:448)e(cid:396)(cid:455) pa(cid:396)ti(cid:272)ula(cid:396) ki(cid:374)d of fe(cid:373)i(cid:374)i(cid:374)it(cid:455) a(cid:374)d (cid:396)espe(cid:272)ta(cid:271)ilit(cid:455) a middle cla . Historically, middle class women proved themselves respectable through appearance and conduct use these signs to construct difference between self and others. Wc (cid:449)o(cid:373)e(cid:374)"s (cid:373)o(cid:396)alit(cid:455) (cid:894)pa(cid:396)ti(cid:272)ula(cid:396)l(cid:455) (cid:373)othe(cid:396)s! (cid:895) (cid:272)o(cid:374)sta(cid:374)tl(cid:455) i(cid:374) (cid:395)uestio(cid:374) Unruly (abject) femininities = working class femininity. Working class read onto the body though signs (walkerdine and ringrose): excessive/fat white flesh and overly tight clothing, b(cid:396)ass(cid:455) (cid:271)lo(cid:374)de d(cid:455)e jo(cid:271)s, fake (cid:374)ails, (cid:862)hooke(cid:396) heels(cid:863, easil(cid:455) (cid:396)ead, these sig(cid:374)s positio(cid:374) (cid:449)o(cid:373)e(cid:374) as (cid:862)othe(cid:396)(cid:863)