Gender and Popular Culture

This book examines the role of popular culture in the construction of gendered identities in contemporary society. It draws on a wide range of popular cultural forms - including popular music, newspapers, and television - to illustrate how femininity and masculinity are produced, represented and consumed. The authors blend primary and secondary research to offer the reader a balanced yet novel overview of the area. Students are introduced to key theories and concepts in the fields of gender studies and popular culture, which are made accessible and interesting through their application to topical examples such as DJs, binge drinking and computer games. The book is structured into three clear, user-friendly sections: 1. Production and gender: An investigation of who produces popular culture, why gendered patterns occur, and how they impact on content. 2. Representation and gender: An examination of how men and women are represented in contemporary popular culture, and how notions of (in)appropriate femininity and masculinity are constructed. 3. Consumption and gender: An exploration of who consumes what in popular culture, how gendered consumption relates to space, and what the effects of consuming representations of gender are. Gender and Popular Culture will be essential reading for students and scholars of media and cultural studies at all levels.

Katie Milestone is Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Cultural Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Anneke Meyer is Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Cultural Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University.