Content area
Abstract
This thesis is a study of the normalizing practices and discourses inherent in the process of cultural production. The main focus of this thesis is an examination of the constitution of the female body within the location of popular culture, specifically Harlequin Enterprises and popular romance novels. I discuss the (re)presentation of women in popular culture, and how women's experiences of oppression are normalized within these sites and labeled as entertainment. I also interrogate how desire is normalized, and a 'normalized desire' is constructed within the context of the culture of romance action; I ask what constructs constitute the 'normal' and the 'desirable', what roles are upheld, what values and belief systems are rewarded, and consequently, what is negated.
