New girlhood and lost boys

Analysing the Cultural Politics of Gender and Education Through Film

Bibliographic Data

ID2925133
AuthorsK Nairn (0000-0002-0855-8434, University of Otago, corresponding author), J Wyn (0000-0003-0669-5432, The University of Melbourne)
Year2015
Volume36
Issue6
Pages821-832
Publication date2015-11-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueDiscourse Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0159-6306 • E-ISSN: 1469-3739
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01596306.2014.973372
OpenAlexW2149309432
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited22

The ‘coming of age’ films Bend it like Beckham, Whale Rider and Harry Potter feature distinctive narratives about girlhood and boyhood that provide a perspective on the changing historical and political context of gendered identity construction in the new millennium. The early 2000s represented a particular moment in thinking about the possibilities, risks and threats of gender relations in Western countries. This was overwhelmingly represented by a discourse of crisis and loss in relation to boyhood and a discourse of hope in relation to girlhood. These films reflect the tensions and contradictory readings of the new cultural politics of gender in the early 2000s, drawing on many of the discourses present in academic discussions about young people's gendered identities. We show how an analysis of ‘coming of age’ films offers a lens for examining the cultural politics of gender and education, and for reflecting on social change and the perceptions and anxieties that this brings

Aesthetics · Art · Cultural politics · Literature · Narrative · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Visual arts · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · History · Law · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics

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