Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Communication, Professional
Date of Award
5-2012
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
C. Wesley Buerkle II
Committee Members
Amber E. Kinser, Kelly A. Dorgan
Abstract
For this project I analyze the film Bronson, focusing on its connection to the contemporary masculinity crisis discourse or the belief that traditional notions of masculinity are in peril due to changing gender norms and women's social progress. I argue Bronson privileges a narrow, violent conception of masculinity through its presentation of violence and domination over other men. I use Ernest Bormann's Symbolic Convergence Theory to analyze how the film makes sense of the real life events it is based on in a way that appeals to the contemporary masculinity crisis discourse. I argue that Bronson is a notable representation of masculinity because it recounts the life of an infamous criminal in a fashion that frames his actions as a resistance to effeminate men. The film's treatment of masculinity is problematic because it advances a restrictive notion of masculinity that involves violent, destructive behavior.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Shupe, James Benjamin, "A Symbolic Prison: A Prisoner's Story as Masculinity Crisis Narrative in Bronson" (2012). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1447. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1447
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.