Feminism and Popular Culture in the '60s, '70s, and '80s

Abstract

This research focuses on the complex correlation between the burgeoning feminist movement of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s and pop culture, paying close attention to easily accessible media products such as magazines, the news, and television. In the first section, this thesis explores the importance of representing women's multifaceted and paradoxical identities to showcase ‘the woman experience’ and it highlights the relevance of popular culture in furthering feminists’ goals. The second chapter takes a closer look at three influential figures of the movement - Gloria Steinem, Kate Millett, and Audre Lorde - by exploring feminist theory, their work, and their relationships with the media and popular culture. The following chapter analyzes the difficulty in the adaptation of feminist theory in other mediums while focusing on semiotics, the production and reception of signs, and women-specific codes. In the following sections, this research shows instances of the adaptation of feminist ideas in magazines, television, and the news, highlighting the coverage of the feminist movement by journalists, and examining instances of feminism on television and sitcoms. The final section calls attention to the function of institutions and their male-dominated structure as well as the interplay between formal and informal institutions, while the appendix takes a look at the erotic feminist magazine Viva.