A woman is incomplete without a man, motherhood is a woman's destiny, and a woman's place is in the home. These conservative political themes are woven throughout teen romance fiction's sagas of hearts and flowers. Using the theory and interpretive methods of feminism and cultural studies, Christian-Smith explores the contradictory role that popular culture plays in constructing gender, class, race, age and sexual meanings. Originally published in 1990, Becoming a Woman through Romance combines close textual analyses of thirty-four teen romance novels (written in the United States from 1942-1982) with a school study in three midwestern American schools. Christian-Smith situates teen romance fiction within the rapidly changing publishing industry and the important political and economic changes in the United States surrounding the rise of the New Right. By analysing the structure of the novels in terms of the themes of romance, sexuality and beautification, and the Good/Bad and Strong/Weak dichotomies, she demonstrates how each has shaped the novels' versions of femininity over forty years. She also shows that although romance fiction is presented as a universal model, it is actually an expression of white middle class gender ideology and tension within this class. This high readable, comprehensive and coherent work was the first to combine in one volume three vital areas of cultural studies research: the political economy of publishing, textual analysis, and a study of readers. The first full-scale study of teen romance fiction, Becoming a Woman through Romance establishes the importance of the study of popular culture forms found in school for understanding the process of school materials in identity formation.

Becoming a Woman Through Romance (Routledge Library Editions: Modern Fiction)

Literature & Fiction

Christian-Smith, Linda K.

History & Criticism

Routledge

Using the theory and interpretive methods of feminism and cultural studies, Christian-Smith explores the contradictory role that popular culture plays in constructing gender, class, race, age and sexual meanings. "Becoming a Woman Through Romance" combines close textual analysis of 34 teen-romance novels with a school study in three mid-western American schools. Christian-Smith sets teen romance fiction in the context of the rapidly changing publishing industry and the important political and economic changes occurring in the United States consequent on the rise of the New Right. This work combines in one volume three areas of cultural studies research - the political economy of publishing, textual analysis and a study of readers. This book is intended to be of interest to researchers in education, sociology, literature and cultural and gender studies.

Becoming a Woman Through Romance (Critical Social Thought)

Using approaches from feminism and cultural studies, this work explores the contradictory role that popular culture plays in the construction of gender, class, race, age, and sexual meanings. Christian-Smith dissects the conservative political themes underlying thirty-four teen romance novels, demonstrating how their flowery versions of romance and femininity actually inscribe white middle class gender ideology and class tensions.

Becoming a Woman through Romance (Critical Social Thought)

Teen & Young Adult

First published in 1993. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Texts Of Desire: Essays Of Fiction, Femininity And Schooling (Critical Perspectives on Literacy and Education)

Taylor&Francis

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Christian-Smith, Linda K.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Christian-Smith, Linda K.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Christian-Smith, Linda K.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Becoming a Woman Through Romance (Routledge Library Editions: Modern Fiction)

Becoming a Woman Through Romance (Critical Social Thought)

Becoming a Woman through Romance (Critical Social Thought)

Texts Of Desire: Essays Of Fiction, Femininity And Schooling (Critical Perspectives on Literacy and Education)