Hegemonic constructions of female beauty and femininity in South Asian Women’s magazines is explored in Senior Lecturer in English Language Dr Linda McLoughlin’s new book.
In A Critical Discourse Analysis of South Asian Women's Magazines, Undercover Beauty, Dr McLoughlin exposes the disconnection between the representation in lifestyle magazines and the lived realities of the target audience.
Palgrave Macmillan’s description of the book states: “The author challenges the notion that discourses of freedom and choice employed by women’s magazines are emancipatory, demonstrating instead that the version of feminism on offer is a commodified form that accords with the commercial aims of the publications.
“McLoughlin demonstrates that whilst British magazines present women in the East as the exotic and culturally superior ‘Other’, women in India are encouraged to emulate Western women to signify their engagement with globalization and modernity. She uses data from focus groups carried out in both countries to illustrate the interpretive frameworks and multivocality of participants’ attitudes, experiences and beliefs. This thought-provoking book will appeal to students and researchers of Language and Linguistics, Women’s Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Media, Communications and Cultural Studies.”