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Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 8 6 1 8 8 6 9 W illiams, Jeanne Pauline THE EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL NORMS AND THE LIFE OF LOIS LANE: RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF POPULAR CULTURE The Ohio State University Ph.D. 1986 University Microfilms International300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 Copyright 1986 by Williams, Jeanne Pauline All Rights Reserved THE ETOLUTION OF SOCIAL NORMS AND THE LIFE OF LOIS LANE: A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF POPULAR CULTURE DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillm ent of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University by Jeanne Pauline Williams, B.S., M.A. \Jft » ft W ft ft ft The Ohio State University 1986 D issertation Committee Approved by Josina Makau Robert Monaghan s—f- Adviser John Makay Department of Communication Copyright by Jeanne Pauline Williams 1986 To my f a t h e r ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Without the advice and Insights provided by Dr. Josina Makau, this dissertation would not be possible. Her encouragement and enthusiasm for this project have been unfailing, and I can never thank her enough. Likewise, Dr. Robert Monaghan has supported my interest in this subject and first encouraged me to consider it as a legitimate research topic. I also wish to thank Dr. John Makay for his support and comments. Susan Opt Whitlock not only coded the content analysis but also shared her expertise as a fellow comics collector. Scott W. Marshall also coded the content analysis and has generally played the role of Jimmy Olsen to my Lois. My mother, Eteda Hudson Williams, has somehow managed to provide an amazing amount of support and encouragement during the most difficult time of her own time. Without her support, as well as that of Jim Williams, Beth Williams and Mary Grove, I could not have survived the last two years. The most important acknowledgment, however, goes to my father, James A. Williams. This work really began with the Superman cartoons he took me to see at the Jur Drive-In every week. He always encouraged me to see myself as Lois Lane was in those cartoons—intelligent, independent and capable. I hope that he would have found all those traits in this work. i i i VITA September 19, 1950 ........................................ Born, W hitesville, W. Va. 1972 ................. B.S., West Virginia University, Morgantown, W. Va. 1973 ............................................................................ M.A., Marshall University, Huntington, W. Va, 1974—I 975 ............................................................. Public relations assistant C&P Telephone, Charleston, W. Va. 1975-1977 ............................................... Writer/editor, Appalachia Educational Laboratory, Charleston, W. Va. 1978-1979 ............................................................. Public information assistant, Epilepsy Association of Southeastern Ohio, Athens, Ohio 1979“198l . ........................................ .... Instructor, Department of Communication, Northwest Missouri State University, M a ry v ille , Mo. 1981-1982 ...... .................................. Instructor, Mass Media Department, M arietta College, M arietta, Ohio 1982-1985 .............................................................. Teaching assistant, Department of Communication, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1985-Present . .................................................. Lecturer, Department of Speech Communication, Theatre and Journalism, Wayne State University, Detroit, Mi. i v PUBLICATIONS Makau, Josina M. and J, P. Williams. "Perspectives on Pornography and Free Speech," Free Speech Yearhook 23 (1985)> 109-122, Williams, J. P. "It's Just That Women on This Campus Aren't Interested in That Sort of Thing," Media Report to Women 8 (September 1980), 7 8 9 (February 1981), 5; 9 (March I 98I ) , 1 1 . Burriss, Larry and J. P. Williams. "Use of Network News M aterial by Cross-Owned Newspapers," Journalism Quarterly 56 (1 9 8 0 ), 567-571• FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Rhetoric Studies in Mass Communication, Dr. Robert Monaghan Communication Theory, Dr. Jack Douglas Women's Studiesi Dr. Barbara Rigney v TABLE OP CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...................................................................................................................... i l l VITA ............................................................................................................................................. i v CHAPTER PAGE I . INTRODUCTION AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK.............................................. 1 Theoretical Framework ................................ 6 I I . LITERATURE R E V IE W ........................................................................................... 11 Historical O verview ............................................................................ 12 Theory of Sequential Art . ............................................................ Ik Review of Methodological L ite ra tu re ........................................ 17 Images of Women in Comics A r t .................................................... 20 I I I . METHODOLOGY............................................. 33 C o n te n t A n a ly s is . ............................................... ....................... 33 Representative Anecdote ................................................................. 37 IV . CONTENT ANALYSIS............................................................................................... 43 1 9 3 8 - 1 9 4 7 ................................................................................................... 43 192*8 - 1 9 6 7................................................................................................... 48 1 9 6 8 - 1 9 8................................................................................................... 2 54 1 9 8 3 - 1 9 8................................................................................................... 6 60 Conclusion ....................................................................... ...... 62 V. RHETORICAL CRITIC ISM ...................................................................................... 67 1938-1947 68 192*8 - 1 9 6 7................................................................................................... 81 1968-1982 ................................................................................................... 97 1983-1986 . Ill C o n c l u s io n................................................................................................... 120 V I. CONCLUSION............................. 127 Methodological Im plications .......................................................... 128 Implications for Further Research ........................................... 132 APPENDICES A. List of Stories Included in Sample.................................................. .135 \ B. Content Analysis R esults............................. 137 BIBLIOGRAPHY....................... 150 v i i Chapter One Introduction and Theoretical Framework Analysis of* the significance of popular culture in contemporary society requires an understanding of the importance of fictional characters as embodiments of cultural values and concerns* The continued popularity .of some pieces of popular culture (for example, Superman) over several decades and generations of readers depends in large part on the audience's ability to identify with the story's protagonists. The virtues represented by a hero such as Superman must be those to which the audience also aspires. The conflicts which concern a character such as Lois Lane must be resolved in ways