Gendered Grief: Depictions of Conjugal Bereavement in Contemporary Film

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dc.contributor.advisorGiuffre, Patti
dc.contributor.authorMoran, Lynette S.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberChee, Kyong Hee
dc.contributor.committeeMemberLozano, Yvonne
dc.date.accessioned2012-12-05T17:12:29Z
dc.date.available2012-12-05T17:12:33Z
dc.date.issued2012-12
dc.description.abstractThis study analyzes the depiction of gender in the context of conjugal bereavement in mainstream film during the last decade (2002-2011). Understanding the gendered representation of grief can help to recognize the social construction of death and loss. I evaluate the portrayal of 21 recently widowed main characters in United States mainstream film through ethnographic content analysis. This study finds that though women are more likely to lose a spouse during their lifetime, they receive much less representation in film on the subject of bereavement and none past middle age. When depicted, women are much more reliant upon other men to help with routine needs and cope with the loss of a spouse. On the other hand, grief spurs men into action-based plots of thrill and adventure. The depicted expectations for bereaved men and women in film largely fall in line with traditional hegemonic norms. These findings support other research that confirms gendered representations in media. It also demonstrates that gendered norms and scripts exist in the common but often overlooked rite of passage of death and widowhood.
dc.description.departmentSociology
dc.formatText
dc.format.extent55 pages
dc.format.medium1 file (.pdf)
dc.identifier.citationMoran, L. S. (2012). <i>Gendered grief: Depictions of conjugal bereavement in contemporary film</i> (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10877/4406
dc.language.isoen
dc.subjectBereavement
dc.subjectGender
dc.subjectMedia
dc.subject.lcshDeath in motion picturesen_US
dc.subject.lcshSexism in motion picturesen_US
dc.subject.lcshBereavementen_US
dc.subject.lcshWidowsen_US
dc.subject.lcshWidowersen_US
dc.subject.lcshSocial roleen_US
dc.subject.lcshMotion pictures--Psychological aspectsen_US
dc.titleGendered Grief: Depictions of Conjugal Bereavement in Contemporary Film
dc.typeThesis
thesis.degree.departmentSociology
thesis.degree.disciplineSociology
thesis.degree.grantorTexas State University-San Marcos
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts

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