The Representation of Women in American Western Film and Literature
Location
CSU 255
Start Date
27-4-2009 1:00 PM
End Date
27-4-2009 3:00 PM
Student's Major
Gender and Women's Studies
Student's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Mentor's Name
Anne O 'Meara
Mentor's Department
English
Mentor's College
Arts and Humanities
Description
The American Western genre of film and literature has largely ignored women and people of color in reference to intersectionality while reinforcing stereotypes, whether created by the genre or not. This study included content analysis of Western film and literature in relation to the female and ethnically diverse characters that are depicted in the works and have helped to create the mythological "cowboy" figure. This also included the treatment of women in relation to their socioeconomic background and source of income, as well as their interaction with and relation to the white males who traditionally dominate the genre, such as, but not limited to, Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, as well as the literary characters created by authors such as Larry McMurtry and others. Though the American Western genre has long been considered dead, the revival of such films and literature in recent popular culture has made this research relevant to modem day America and other countries to which this material has been exported. The American cowboy has become an iconic figure, while individuals who largely created the cultural American West, such as Native Americans, Mexicans, and women, have been ignored or marginalized to take on a supporting-role for the white-male, iconic cowboy.
The Representation of Women in American Western Film and Literature
CSU 255
The American Western genre of film and literature has largely ignored women and people of color in reference to intersectionality while reinforcing stereotypes, whether created by the genre or not. This study included content analysis of Western film and literature in relation to the female and ethnically diverse characters that are depicted in the works and have helped to create the mythological "cowboy" figure. This also included the treatment of women in relation to their socioeconomic background and source of income, as well as their interaction with and relation to the white males who traditionally dominate the genre, such as, but not limited to, Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, as well as the literary characters created by authors such as Larry McMurtry and others. Though the American Western genre has long been considered dead, the revival of such films and literature in recent popular culture has made this research relevant to modem day America and other countries to which this material has been exported. The American cowboy has become an iconic figure, while individuals who largely created the cultural American West, such as Native Americans, Mexicans, and women, have been ignored or marginalized to take on a supporting-role for the white-male, iconic cowboy.
Recommended Citation
Sebold, Jessica. "The Representation of Women in American Western Film and Literature." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 27, 2009.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2009/oral-session-08/6
