Dissertation
Apocalypse and the Utopian Impulse: Gendered Narratives of Survival and Wounded Masculinities in Contemporary Popular Culture
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2017
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/107930
Abstract
The word “apocalypse” has a long history, but in American culture it generally signifies “the end of the world (as we know it).” Alongside this meaning, however, apocalypse represents a potential for renewal through destruction, a “utopian impulse” wherein those who survive have the opportunity to rebuild civilization. This impulse manifests not only in literature, film, and television but also in the cultural practices associated with disaster preparedness in an American context. These apocalypse-to-utopia narratives have contributed to the (re)centering of hegemonic masculinities. Examples include mythological creation tales of the frontier, post-World War II apocalyptic cinema, and contemporary media that feature female heroes. Often, these narratives confront ongoing anxiety about the “crisis” of masculinity, perceived as a weakening of hegemonic masculinities by (feminized) civilization. My dissertation argues that contemporary narratives of survival that are present in both mass media and in the cultural practices of disaster preparedness work to recuperate the authority of hegemonic masculinities by emphasizing and justifying the need to possess such masculine-coded traits as aggressive self-reliance and strength while simultaneously denigrating feminine-coded traits such as compassion and collaborative problem-solving. Despite discourses that stress the need and desire for feminine-coded survival skills as well as women’s involvement in “prepping,” representations of women in film and television as well as performances by women “preppers” continue to emphasize and justify masculinized narratives. Thus, although disaster preparedness should consider the potential needs of entire communities, the continued reliance on masculinized narratives of survival serves to assist in an ongoing project of re-centering or recuperating so-called “wounded” hegemonic masculinities.
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Details
- Title
- Apocalypse and the Utopian Impulse: Gendered Narratives of Survival and Wounded Masculinities in Contemporary Popular Culture
- Creators
- Tiffany Anne Christian
- Contributors
- Pamela Thoma (Advisor)Richard King (Committee Member)Nishant Shahani (Committee Member)Jeffrey Sanders (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- School of Languages, Cultures, and Race
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 282
- Identifiers
- 99900581517001842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation