The Phd is done.

For those interested and participants in my surveys, see the link to the University of Canberra, where my thesis is available for reading.

Link to the University of Canberra. Here.

I am considering publishing a monograph of my findings and also the novel attached to the thesis. With this in mind, I expect the thesis will not be available online for a long period of time.

Over the next few weeks, I will be sending the link to the thesis to those participants that requested one.

The abstract for the thesis appears below.

Donna Maree Hanson

1April 2023

Romance fiction as a bridge to understanding changing gender roles in society

Abstract

Building upon the ideas of Illouz (Illouz, 2017b) this practice led research project encompasses a survey of readers and writers of romance fiction which supports the contribution to knowledge. Included in this thesis are textual analyses of romance fiction exploring engagement with feminism and feminist issues. The creative component is a self-reflexive and reflective futuristic science fiction novel, which explores gender and feminism by deliberately applying the motif of romance fiction as a conceptual ‘bridge’ between the present and the past.

The degree to which feminism—the discussion of feminist ideals and issues—has been taken up in romance fiction demonstrates and explains how romance fiction has become increasingly feminist. It is not just the feminist movement itself but upheaval in society caused by changes in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s which created a ‘perfect storm in marriage and family life’ (Coontz, 2005, p. 282). Selective aspects of feminism have been co-opted by Western governments and capitalism combined with a cultural focus on love in Western society. Feminism through these vectors promulgates notions of feminist equality in relation to education, employment and how both can increase purchasing power and participation in the economy (McRobbie, 2004, p. 14). Feminism since the 1970s has been part of the romance writers’ and readers’ habitus. Romance fiction has absorbed and reflected facets of the feminist movement surrounding the depiction of the heroine, her situation in the world and even the perspectives of the hero. This incorporation includes gender politics, the economics of romantic relationships; and changing social views of love, marriage, sex and gender roles. Moreover, these works of fiction written mostly by women for women become culturally valuable historical documents (Auchmuty, 1999, pp. x-xi). This research argues that the ideas of ‘romance’ and ‘feminism’ are cojoined twins, providing the habitus for romance writers and their readers.

A copy of the thesis only is available for download for survey participants.

This page has the following sub pages.

• Thesis only