• Title/Summary/Keyword: sexual discourse

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The Shifts of Power in Gender Discourse: Approaching Bao Ninh's Short Stories and Svetlana Alexievich's Unwomanly Face of War from Feminist Narratology

  • Cao, Kim Lan
    • SUVANNABHUMI
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    • v.14 no.1
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    • pp.133-160
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    • 2022
  • This paper examines narratives of women's marginal position in Bao Ninh's Short Stories and Svetlana Alexievich's Unwomanly Face of War from a feminist narratological approach. In analyzing voices of marginalized women, direct and indirect descriptions of women's beauty and pain, and private-public narratives of women's love stories, this paper aims to identify presentations of women's real authority in the text written by a male author, Bao Ninh, and in the one by a female author. The paper argues that juxtaposing these texts reveals an overturn of the traditional conception of sexual and gender differences. Specifically, distinguishing between male/female discourse does not show powerful /nonpowerful language, but recognizes the real authority of each type of discourse based on sexual differences. The writing also illustrates that masculine language becomes powerless and deficient in the women's world; meanwhile, in writing about herself, woman establishes a type of a powerful feminine discourse, which blends both emotional, enthusiastic, and gossipy characteristics of female language and direct, rational, and strong ones of male language. Thus, the feminists' radical segregation on male/female discourses to overturn masculine authority and create a language for women at par with men has been clearly shifted when comparing the two writers' texts based on the juxtapositional model of the comparative literature.

Hierarchized Male Sexuality in Modern England and "Solitary Vice" (근대 영국에서의 위계화된 남성 섹슈얼리티와 "홀로 저지르는 죄악")

  • Gye, Joengmeen
    • Journal of English Language & Literature
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    • v.54 no.4
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    • pp.443-459
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    • 2008
  • This paper examines the discourse of masturbation in modern England and aims to re-draw the map of male sexuality related to such issues as nation, empire, family, and economy. It argues that the discourse of masturbation in modern England reflects national anxieties for the future of empire and an economic concern for unproductive sexual behavior, which were the main factors to transform masturbation into "solitary vice." The anxieties about empire and British dominance were constituted as the core of the anti-masturbation discourse on the boys. The imperial destiny was regarded to depend on the protection of the middle- and upper-class boys from the harmful psychological and physiological effects of masturbation represented in Lawrence's "The Rocking-Horse Winner." In the case of a single male, the concern for masturbation is constructed as a concern about economy, family, and human solidarity. As seen in Eliot's Silas Marner, the act of masturbation was condemned as the fulfillment of illegitimate sexual desire outside the familial sphere and a commercial economy, and thus without the possibility of human community. Silas Marner and Meredith's The Ordeal of Richard Feverel show the ways of reconstituting sexual others as normalized subjects: Boys were forced to be asexual through the regime of surveillance; and a single male was required to enroll in a remedial course on familial respectability.

Sexuality Expressed in the 19C Fashion in Foucauldian Post-Structural Perspective - Focusing on Femininity and Masculinity Represented in the Mainstream Fashion and Anti-Fashion in the Middle and Latter of the Nineteenth Century - (Foucault의 후기구조주의적 시각에서 본 19세기 패션에 표현된 성 - 19세기 중.후반 남녀 주류 패션과 반패션에 나타난 여성성과 남성성을 중심으로 -)

  • Choi, Kyung-Hee
    • The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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    • v.15 no.2 s.67
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    • pp.232-251
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    • 2007
  • The purpose of this study was to understand sexuality expressed in fashion in a discursive view and reinterpret sexuality represented in fashion in the 19th century in Foucauldian post-structural perspective. As for methodology, at first the conception of sexuality was examined from structural feminism to post-structural pluralism by a literature review and discussed in relation with the matters of body and fashion on the basis of Foucault's discourse. Then, sexuality represented in the 19C fashion as a case study was re-estimated in terms of power relationship between dominant and oppositional discourses and mainstream fashion and anti-fashion as well. The conception of sexuality in Foucauldian post-structuralism maintains the view of plural sexuality, which floats by discourse and power produced in a specific historical context. In the Foucauldian perspective sexuality expressed in the mainstream fashion and anti-fashion in the nineteenth century shows the following aspects. The mainstream fashion in the middle and latter of the 19C made the clear sexual difference in dress of plain and functional male suit and extravagant and decorative female dress on the center of bourgeois masculinity in the context of modernity and capitalism. Although anti-fashion was also co-existed with the mainstream fashion, it was criticized by the Victorian people. It codifies sexual ideology of the binary opposition of male domination and female subordination. Therefore, the traditional sexual ideology in the 19C is a capitalist value, which gives a priority to bourgeois man's profits, and the Victorian discourses of sexuality constructs the clear sexual difference in dress in the period.

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A Study of Femininity and Masculinity Represented in Men's and Women's Fashion Magazine in Korea since 2000 (2000년 이후 한국 남녀 패션 잡지에 표현된 여성성과 남성성에 관한 연구)

  • Choi, Kyung-Hee
    • The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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    • v.16 no.1
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    • pp.1-21
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    • 2008
  • The purpose of this study is to typify femininity and masculinity represented in mainstream women's and men's fashion magazines in Korea since 2000 and infer sexual ideology appearing in contemporary Korean society by content analysis with the view of plural sexuality. For the content analysis total 259 editorial fashion photography was analyzed. As the result, 5 femininities and 5 masculinities were typified, and then sexual discourse was inferred out of the frequency of each type and texts with the images. On the basis of previous studies and historical considerations of this topic, the types of sexuality represented in mainstream fashion magazines in Korea since 2000 were classified as follow.: in women's fashion magazines Traditional Femininity and Androgynous Femininity were almost similarily dominant sexuality, and Glamor Femininity, Babydoll Femininity, and Genderless sexuality were alternative. Meanwhile, in men's fashion magazines Traditional Masculinity formed clear dominant sexuality, and Macho Masculinity, Androgynous Masculinity, Adolescent Masculinity, and Genderless sexuality were alternatives. In addition, Androgynous Masculinity in women's fashion magazines occupied the highest frequency, while Glamor Femininity in men's fashion magazines did so. From this sexual discourses represented in mainstream fashion magazines in Korea since 2000 are as follow.: First, mainstream fashion in Korea sticks to the modern values preserving traditional sexual ideology even in this postmodern period of the former 21C. Second, Androgynous Femininity as another dominant femininity with Traditional Femininity connotes the change of conception of femininity in Korean society. Third, Androgynous Masculinity to females is preferred, while femininity to males is still regarded as fetish or adorned object. Fourth, the appearance of various alternative sexualities leads to pluralization of sexuality, and then fashion gradually codifies youthfulness and feminine values, such as body and sexual desire more than before.

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The Discourse Analysis of Puberty in Early Teenage Girls (10대 초반 소녀들의 사춘기에 대한 담론분석)

  • Lee, Eun-Joo
    • Child Health Nursing Research
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    • v.11 no.2
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    • pp.179-188
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    • 2005
  • Purpose: This study was conducted to analyze the discourse of puberty in the early teenage girls. Method: The participants were 24, 11-15years old girls who were interviewed in face-to-face using a semi-structured questionnaire. The interviews were done between October 29 and December 27 2003. Analysis of the qualitative data was done in 2 steps. Results: First, the theme of the girls' puberty discourse was identifying normality and consisted of 5 categories : i) defining puberty as experiencing changes, ⅱ) acknowledging their own puberty connecting it with their definitions of puberty, ⅲ) selectively excluding/recognizing the actual pubertal changes by seeing themselves as nonsexual and negative beings, ⅳ) recognizing the pubertal changes as becoming women and making them not peculiar but normal, and ⅴ) sharing the knowledge and experience of change inactively and exclusively and resisting the dominant discourse. Three main discourse frames, marking off sexual/nonsexual, man/women, and major/minor were revealed in the second step of the analysis. They were intricately woven with each other and converged on sex. Conclusion: The girls posited themselves as being asexual, unstable, and marginal. So there is a need to help them recognize their pubertal state as physical and mental paradigmatic changes and assure their pubertal changes as positive.

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The Trend and Prospect of Study on 'Sexual Minority' in Social Welfare and Practice : Implications of Feminist Theories on Sexuality (사회복지(학)에서의 '성적 소수자' 연구의 동향과 인식론적 전망 : 페미니스트 섹슈얼리티 이론의 가능성)

  • Sung, Jung-Suk;Lee, Na-Young
    • Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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    • v.41 no.4
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    • pp.5-44
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    • 2010
  • The main purpose of this study is to critically examine the existing theoretical as well as analytical scope of 'sexual minority' in Social Welfare, and to (re)construct and expand it incorporating feminist theories on sexuality. The body of literature on sexual minority or homosexuality in social welfare in Korea as well as in the West can be characterized as two distinct features: first, medical discourse leaning on pathological perspective which perceives homosexuality as a disease or defect, homosexual as a pervert; and second, human rights perspective premised upon the idea of diversity and multi-culturalism, both which are anchoring at 'essentialism.' Based upon the understanding of sexuality as a social construct, we argue that feminist insight on sexuality can lead to reconceptualizing homosexuality and reorienting theories and practices in social welfare. From radical feminism to postmodern queer theories, feminists have developed diverse ideas and complex theories on sexuality and homosexuality, including the concept of 'compulsory heterosexuality,' 'lesbianism as political resistance,' and 'performative gender.' For feminists, particularly, sexuality which is constructed in the complex power matrix of dominations to producing and maintaining inequalities and discriminations is not merely a distinctive variable, but one of the important organizational principles such as gender, class, race, age, and nationality. This epistemological principle will hopefully shed lights on alternative 'knowledge' on homosexuality in social welfare, and lead to significant contribution to its critical expansion in theory and practice.

The Grammar of Female Exploitation In a Digital Matrix: Analysis of the Mechanism of Digital Sexual Violence and Counter-Discourses on it (디지털 매트릭스의 여성착취문법: 디지털 성폭력의 작동방식과 대항담론)

  • YUN, Ji-Yeong
    • Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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    • no.122
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    • pp.85-134
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    • 2018
  • In this article, I will provide a philosophical discourse on digital sexual violence that is a technological version of male violence. First, critical analysis of the mechanism of the spatiality and the temporality of the hidden and illicit camera is developed to focus on the immeasurable damage of this violence. I elaborate a notional division between digital sexual violence and cyber sexual violence. Secondly, the ease of taking images of women's bodies and the rapid transmission of these images through the advancement of digital communication technology and hyperconnectivity, lead to use these images as a new digital monet for men. They consolidate their male solidarity by reaffirming female inferiority and humiliating women. Thirdly, the invention of the structure of the new affect to resist to digital sexual violence is crucial. For that, it would be necessary to pass from the sexual shame to the sexual displeasure and to the socio-political indignation. These would create another opportunity to resist to digital sexual violence.

School Uniform Advertising, Sexuality, and Cross-Cultural Implication (교복 광고, 섹슈얼리티와 문화간 함의)

  • An, KyoungHee;Baek, Seon-Gi
    • The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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    • v.17 no.3
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    • pp.609-623
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    • 2017
  • This study intends to find the meaning of signs' configuration in Korean and British school uniform advertisements, to investigate through reproduction of such signs what influences on students' identity issues are, and to discover the cultural significance of the both nations by analysing sexuality discourses around these ads. The authors apply semiotic analysis methods such as two-stage meaning structure and critical discourse analysis. The research subjects are School uniform advertisements of both in South Korea and in the UK. Through this study, women objectification, the power imbalances between men and women, and child erotica were revealed, and also the uniforms of the meaning and value turned out to be distorted. In addition, on the basis of critical discourse analysis, two nations' school uniform ads, which heavily focused on sexual objectification and commercialism, transformed aspects of unusual esthetic value, reminded of Lolita fantasy, implied wrong justification of deviant sexual orientation, and, caused Korean and British students the confusion of sexual identity and values.

A Study on the Realities of Sexual Violence and the Measure for Social Welfare (성폭력 실태와 사회복지적 대책 방안에 관한 연구)

  • Bae, Na-Rae;So, Kwon-Seob
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.21 no.2
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    • pp.251-258
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    • 2020
  • This study aims to address the current situation and damage from sexual violence, to arouse public opinion, help broader awareness, and further lead to community social efforts to cope actively with the situation. In Korean society, discourse on sex is often conducted in a double structure. Sexual violence is not just a personal misfortune; it is a problem for women as a whole. Furthermore, it is a challenge that society needs to address. Therefore, the government should evolve its response to sexual violence into a collective, not individual, movement of men and women toward social and cultural movements together. Although the visible reality of sexual violence is important, damaging their mental health by passing on a distorted cultural environment to future generations should be seen as a type of historical crime.

The Rise of the Novel and the Sexual Contract: Beyond correspondence between novel and nation-state (소설의 발생과 성적 계약 -국민국가 담론을 넘어)

  • Kim, Bongyoul
    • Journal of English Language & Literature
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    • v.55 no.5
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    • pp.793-820
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    • 2009
  • The studies of correspondence between novel and nation-state, among which The Rise of the Novel by Ian Watt is supposed to be the first book, have flourished for more than twenty years, encouraged by Benedict Anderson's and Cathy Davidson's works. According to them, the novel should come simultaneously with, or after the foundation of the nation-state, and testify to its production or the emergence of its subject/citizen. This paper questions about these prepositions, trying to introduce a new paradigmatical approach, "between global and transnational historical approach," to first novels in transatlantic areas including England and atlantic coastal areas. In its complex relation to a variety of colonial, post-colonial, and transnational geopolitics, various cultural practices such as history, traveler's tales and epistolary novels can be included in the genre of the novel. The idea of the sexual contract by Carole Pateman is very useful because it helps more clearly understand the nature of relation between men and women in the capitalist reproduction, while the social contract tells about the relation between men as citizens. Unlike Freud in Totem and Taboo, Zilboorg argues that there were primordial and violent scenes such as rape before the first sexual contract. This paper will illuminate that "the rise of the novel" corresponded with the emergence of the sexual contract. In the so-called first novel Pamela, the heroine Pamela was threatened to be violated by Mr. B., and was really even confined in his cottage. Mary Rowlandson's The Captive Narrative shows that her body was confined as an English female captive, and troubled with imaginary rape by Indians which resulted in the unequal sexual contract between her and her puritan community in America. However, Leonora Sansay's Secret History in an alternative communality, which was not a nation-state, was different from both novels mentioned above, in that it shows the possibility of emancipation from their unequal marriage, the sexual contract. Therefore, it can be argued that "between global and transnational historical approach" has a possibility to provide a new vision of global sisterhood and solidarity to recognize globalized women's violence, and free themselves from the unequal sexual contract.