MEN READING FICTION: A STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN READER, (CON)TEXT, CONSUMPTION AND GENDER IDENTITY. Amy Victoria Luther School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies Cardiff University 2010 This thesis is submitted to the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, Cardiff University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. UMI Number: U584499 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U584499 Published by ProQuest LLC 2013. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Declaration This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. Signed (candidate) Date..<£3..(.Q$JiQ STATEMENT 1 This thesis is being submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of PhD. Signed (candidate) Date . STATEMENT 2 This thesis is the result of my own independent work/investigation, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by explicit references. Signed (candidate) Date ... j..P..^ 1 ./..!.? STATEMENT 3 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed . ... (candidate) DateJ l h l h . 9 Abstract This thesis is a qualitative study of men's talk about fiction reading. Based on 38 interviews with male readers and 13 book group sessions with four male participants it draws upon the theories of Bourdieu (1986) and de Certeau (1988) to analyse how men's consumption practices may in part be constitutive of articulations of gendered identity. My analysis of the qualitative data begins with a focus on the interviews, looking at how Bourdieu's conceptual apparatus can be extended to look at the power of the media as a form of 'meta-capital' (Couldry 2003) and gender as a form of symbolic power. The interview analysis identifies a link between gender and genre, with masculinity articulated by negation of culturally feminised texts. Moving towards a more specific analysis of the articulation of the self as gendered, I then consider how the book group participants talk about a series of texts. Firstly focusing on culturally masculinised genres (horror, techno-thriller, science fiction and militaristic action/adventure) the group discussions measured the value of a text by how 'realistic' it was. Subsequently the book group participants were asked to make their own selections to focus on the 'symbolic work' (Willis 2000) of consumption. Each of the books chosen contained elements of comedy pointing to the importance of this genre to performances of masculinity. The readers also revoked their previously established valuation of 'realism' in favour of proximity to the text. Finally, the analysis turns to culturally feminised genres (modern romance, chick lit, feminist fiction, and a 'classic' romantic comedy) where discussions once more emphasised readers' constructions of self in opposition to femininity. Acknowledgements First and foremost thanks go to my supervisor, Dr M att Hills. His advice, encouragement and guidance have enabled me to complete this work and his incisive feedback has improved my thesis immeasurably. I could not have hoped for a better mentor. My thanks also go to Professor Terry Threadgold and Professor Justin Lewis for accepting me onto the PhD programme and deeming me worthy of financial support, without which I would not have been able to study. I would like to thank all of the interviewees who took part in my research, and particularly my book group members who generously gave up a significant amount of their free time to participate. My fellow PhD friends and colleagues provided an inspiring sounding board and some much needed extra-curricular diversions, and my friends outside the academy spurred me on by taking bets on whether or not I'd actually finish, and helped to keep me sane. I am also grateful for the generosity that my current managers have shown - especially for accommodating my request to bring forward annual leave to assist with the completion of my thesis. Last but by no means least, my family have been an incredible source of wisdom and cheer, and without their support I would not have been able to see this through to the end. This thesis is dedicated in loving memory to those family members I've lost along the way and didn't get to see this completed - Emilie, Monica, Vi, Dave and Doug. I hope they'd be proud of me. Table of Contents Declaration............................................................................................................................ii Abstract................................................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgements............................................................................................................ iv Table of Contents..................................................................................................................v Chapter One - Introduction................................................................................................ 1 Researching the reader................................................................................................................................................1 Theorising (gendered) subjectivity.............................................................................................................................4 Theorising consumption...............................................................................................................................................6 Chapter outlines............................................................................................................................................................7 Conclusion....................................................................................................................................................................11 Chapter Two - Literature Review.................................................................................... 13 According to Bourdieu:Distinction, gender and language.....................................................................................14 Examining the field: critiques of Bourdieu...............................................................................................................20 Reading (with) Bourdieu: studies of cultural consumption................................................................................... 24 Valuing capital: Bourdieu and masculine gender identity construction.............................................................. 27 A very (extra?)ordinary culture: consumption and/as production....................................................................... 30 Reading "poaching": de Certeau and the cultural studies 'reader*...................................................................... 33 Critiques of de Certeau...............................................................................................................................................38 "Poaching" de Certeau: a tactical approach to identity construction..................................................................42 Theories of masculinity/performance..................................................................................................................... 47 v A combinatory theoretical approach: using Bourdieu and de Certeau................................................................51 Conclusion....................................................................................................................................................................53 Chapter Three - Methodology..........................................................................................56 Introduction to the study.......................................................................................................................................... 56 Summary of research design.....................................................................................................................................57 Gender and methodology......................................................................................................................................... 60 Data gathering: book groups.....................................................................................................................................63 Data gathering: interviews........................................................................................................................................ 65 Conclusion....................................................................................................................................................................72 Chapter Four - Cultures of Consumption.......................................................................74 Media 'meta-capital' and the mediatization