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Choice and change: Constructions of gender in the discourse of American military women

Rebecca Ann Drake, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Abstract

The following dissertation is a study of the construction of gender expressed by American women in a traditionally male occupation, that of the military. Specifically, the project focuses on the images and symbols of gender, work, and society created by the personal stories and life histories of women in the armed forces. The theoretical background includes contemporary concepts of language and social life, particularly those theories identified as social constructionist as well as feminist and anthropological theories of gender constructs. The methodological focus will incorporate ethnographic interviewing and discourse analysis of the life stories of the female participants. The conclusion will defend the constructionist view of communication theory and suggest ways of reconstructing gender roles in a changing post-industrial society.

Subject Area

Communication|Womens studies

Recommended Citation

Drake, Rebecca Ann, "Choice and change: Constructions of gender in the discourse of American military women" (1994). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9420621.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9420621

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