Men at work
Masculinity, work and class in King of the Coral Sea
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5715674 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Chelsea Barnett (0000-0002-1631-1503, Macquarie University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 161 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 59-67 |
| Publication date | 2016-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Media International Australia (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1329-878X • E-ISSN: 2200-467X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1329878x16664997 |
| OpenAlex | W2517623767 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 14 |
In the aftermath of Second World War and in the beginning years of the Cold War, newly elected Prime Minister Robert Menzies reaffirmed the institutional relationship between masculinity and breadwinning that also spoke to a specific national ideal. In accordance with the 'national narrative of work', this article looks to historicise the relationship between historically specific understandings of gender and work, and how that relationship was represented in the 1954 Australian film King of the Coral Sea. Based around the pearling industry in the Torres Strait, the film's narrative shows the introduction of new technology and the management of the workplace; both these representations functioned in accordance with post-war middle-class values. This article argues that King of the Coral Sea's engagement with gendered ideals of work and class not only carries specific national meanings but also had broader implications for understandings of masculinity in the context of the Australian 1950s
Archaeology · Art · Literature · Masculinity · Media studies · Narrative · Political science · Sociology · Australian History and Society · Cultural Industries and Urban Development · Engineering · Gender Studies · History · Law · World Wars: History, Literature, and Impact
Borders of the national family in King of the Coral Sea (1954)
I Ain't Queer”
Securing the man
Australian film in the 1950s
The End of Indenture? Asian workers in the Australian Pearling Industry, 1901–1972
Robert Menzies' Forgotten People
Australia's China
The Management of Labour
Division of Labour
Private Pleasures, Public Leisure
Chifley, the Army and the 1949 Coal Strike
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |