Postfeminist influences on fairy tales, real and imagined: a critical media literacy classroom investigation
Journal
Gender and Education
Journal Volume
31
Journal Issue
6
Pages
688-704
Date Issued
2019
Author(s)
Abstract
This article argues that postfeminist influences on the multiple and interconnected narratives of fairy tales, both real and imagined, provide fertile ground from which to consider ideologies related to race, class, gender, and sexuality. It reports on a research the purpose of which was to engage students in a critical exploration of ideologies relating to race, class, gender, and sexuality through classroom discussions of the contradictory discourses surrounding the ‘real’ fairy tale of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and two recent fairy tale animations that supposedly promote empowered princesses. The findings show that a postfeminist lens provides an effective means through which to explore with students the ideologies of gender, race, class, and sexuality, and suggest the need for an intersectional approach and a generational perspective toward considerations of systems of inequality.
SDGs
Type
journal article