Negotiating Femininities in the Night Time Economy in Newcastle
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
‘Running the Tightrope’: Negotiating Femininities in the Night Time Economy in Newcastle Emily Margaret Louise Nicholls Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Geography, Politics and Sociology Newcastle University, UK August 2015 ‘If she wants to dance and drink all night, well there’s no-one that can stop her...’ - Against Me! (2007) ‘Thrash Unreal’ i Abstract This project explores young women’s understandings of what it means to be (in)appropriately feminine, the ways in which the boundaries of femininities are negotiated through women’s embodied practices in the Night Time Economy and the types of behaviours and identities that are enabled or constrained as a result. Within the academic literature, appropriate femininity has traditionally been associated with passivity, respectability and control. Yet understandings of the meanings and scope of femininities and the implications for the lived experiences of women are more contested in contemporary research, where it is useful to imagine women as negotiating a plurality of ‘femininities’ whose importance shifts across contexts. Within a supposed ‘post-feminist’ society, some women may arguably be able to claim new feminine identities drawing on elements of empowerment, independence and agency. However, it is important to consider how far traditional understandings of femininities may continue to impact on young women’s experiences and the extent to which women even consider being ‘feminine’ to be important. This research contributes to an emerging field of literature exploring the ways in which women manage some of the tensions and contradictions inherent in understandings of appropriate femininities in contemporary spaces. Adding to recent work on the ways in which embodied experience shapes and constructs identities in the Night Time Economy, this research uses semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 26 young women aged 18-25 to demonstrate some of the ways in which young women define and manage the boundaries of femininities - both on a ‘girls’ nights out’ with female friends and when engaging with the Night Time Economy more widely - in the post-industrial city of Newcastle, UK. The research also examines the ways in which class, sexuality, age and ‘Geordie’ identities are implicated in such processes, impacting upon the extent to which different women can engage in traditionally non-feminine behaviour without damaging their claims to respectable feminine identities. ii Acknowledgements I am extremely grateful to the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) whose generous funding support made this PhD possible. I would also like to sincerely thank both of my supervisors, Professor Diane Richardson and Professor Janice McLaughlin, who provided invaluable support and guidance throughout the entire process. The postgraduate community at Newcastle University has remained a fantastic source of support throughout my PhD, offering guidance, advice and fresh ideas for the project, as well as comfort and reassurance when required and some new – and I hope lifelong – friendships. Thank you to colleagues within the postgraduate community who took part in pilot interviews and focus groups and offered feedback and comments. I would also like to thank the staff in the wider Sociology department, the Geography, Politics and Sociology school and the office and support staff. I would not have been able to recruit my participants without the support of all who helped in some way to publicise or promote the project. Special thanks go to all the staff at local universities and colleges who allowed me to talk to their students about the research, and to all those who helped to circulate information on the project through social media, email and displaying flyers in shops, bars and leisure venues. Thank you also to all of my family and friends who kept me smiling throughout the PhD journey. Thank you to Hannah for assistance with all the printing and binding. And most importantly, a huge and sincere thank you to all of the young women who so kindly gave up their time to take part in my research interviews. You have all shaped and made this project what it is and all contributions have been invaluable. Extra thanks to the participant who – through snowballing study information – secured additional friends and family members to take part in the study. I am very grateful to all participants and appreciate the insight into your lives and nights out that you all offered me and the warmth, humour and thoughtfulness which were brought to the interviews. iii iv Contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Contents v List of Tables and Figures vii Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Introduction 1 Aims, Context and Background 1 Situating the Project: Gaps in the Literature 9 Situating the Project: Newcastle-upon-Tyne 12 Situating the Project: Mapping the City Centre 15 Structure of the Thesis 20 Chapter 2. Literature Review 22 Introduction 22 Key Concepts 22 Gender, Sex and Sexuality 22 Sex Roles, Masculinities and Femininities 24 (In)appropriate Femininities 26 Sociological and Feminist Understandings of the Body and Embodied 30 Practices The Body 30 Symbolic Interactionism 33 Theorising Femininities within the NTE 35 Drinking Practices 37 Dress, Appearance and Bodily Presentation 43 Risk and Safekeeping 48 Conclusion 54 Chapter 3. Methodology 55 Introduction 55 Research Design: Methodology and Methods 55 Sampling 60 Recruitment 68 Data Collection 73 Interview Design and Process 73 Focus Groups 77 Data Analysis 78 Ethical Considerations 81 Power 81 Reflexivity 84 Participant and Researcher Wellbeing 87 Reflections on Research Process 89 Chapter 4. Doing and Undoing ‘Girly’ through Drinking and Behaviour 94 Introduction 94 (Un)Doing ‘Girly’ in the NTE 94 Doing ‘Girly’: Femininities, Friendships and Drink Choices 95 v Girls’ Night Off? Expectations and Norms around Feminine 103 Behaviour Moderation and Control: Drinking and Drunkenness on a Night Out 110 The Imperative to Intoxication 110 Control and Excess 113 (Mis)Placement, Othering and Belonging 121 Conclusion 130 Chapter 5. The Management and Negotiation of Dress and Appearance 133 Introduction 133 What it means to look Feminine on a Girls’ Night Out: Exaggerated 133 Femininities The Value of Investing in a Feminine Appearance 142 Feminine Dress and doing ‘Girly’ on the Girls’ Night Out 142 ‘Stop Being a Pussy’: Individual Strength and Agency? 148 Flashing Femininity and Resisting Negative Readings 152 The Limits of Femininity: Is it Possible to Look Too Feminine? 159 Hyper-femininity and Looking like a Slut 160 Age, Class and Geordie Glamour 163 Conclusion 170 Chapter 6. Risk Management and Safekeeping 172 Introduction 172 Young Women’s Understandings of Risk and Safekeeping within the NTE 172 Dimensions of Risk: Gender and Sexuality 180 Dimensions of Risk and Gender 181 Dimensions of Risk and Sexuality 187 Risky Practices and Identities: Promiscuity 191 Risky Practices and Spaces: Violence and Aggression 199 Conclusion 208 Chapter 7. Conclusion 211 Introduction 211 ‘(Un)Doing’ Femininities in the NTE 211 What does ‘feminine’ really mean? Intersections and Blurrings 216 (Re)conceptualising Classed Distinctions 220 Directions for Future Research 225 Appendices 230 A: Demographic Form 230 B: Website Screenshots 232 C: Timeline of Recruitment Mechanisms 233 D: Facebook Screenshots 238 E: Recruitment Flyer 239 F: Interview Schedule 240 G: Transcription Key 243 H: Extract from Theme Analysis Table 244 I: Information Sheet 246 J: Interview Consent Form 248 K: Useful Contact Sheet 249 References 250 vi List of Tables and Figures Figure/Table Page Figure 1. Map of Nightlife in Newcastle City Centre 17 Table 1. Age of Participants 62 Table 2. Sexuality of Participants 63 Table 3. Class of Participants 63 Table 4. Highest Education Level of Participants 65 Table 5. Educational Background of Participants 65 Table 6. Frequency of Engagement with NTE 67 Table 7. Preferred Time to Go Out 67 Table 8. Recruitment Methods 69 vii Chapter 1. Introduction Introduction This thesis outlines the findings of a qualitative study exploring the ways in which the boundaries of ‘appropriate’ femininity might be understood and managed by young women in the Night Time Economy (NTE). Specifically, the project explores the management of these boundaries on a night out in the post-industrial cityscape of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North-East England. The project explores young women’s understandings of what it might mean to be (in)appropriately feminine, the ways in which the boundaries of femininities are negotiated through women’s everyday, embodied practices on a night out, and the types of behaviours and identities that are enabled or constrained as a result. This chapter outlines the aims of the study and research questions, followed by an overview of the theoretical and research context and background, outlining some of the key debates around contemporary femininities and the main themes explored in the research. The chapter then goes on to situate the study in three ways. Firstly, the research is situated within the current research landscape by highlighting some of the gaps in the literature which the project has sought to address. Secondly, the study is geographically situated within Newcastle, with a brief reflection on some of the historical, social and economic contexts that continue to shape the city in which the research was based. Finally, the research is situated more specifically through an overview of the nightlife venues and ‘areas’ within