Date of Award
Spring 5-3-2019
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
English, Linguistics, and Communication
Department Chair or Program Director
Richards, Gary
First Advisor
Johnson-Young, Elizabeth
Major or Concentration
Communication and Digital Studies
Abstract
In 2011, HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones premiered for the first time, and fans have followed ever since. While the television series is based on author George R.R. Martin’s book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, there are many artistic decisions that have been made while filming the show, many of which have been critiqued as misogynistic, perpetuating rape culture or reinforcing of stereotypical gender roles. This paper aims to bring light to these claims through the usage of the cultivation theory as well as drawing on information gathered from a survey that was distributed online which included viewers of the show 18 years of age and up. While this paper will focus on ideas from all seven seasons, there will be a particular emphasis on instances that occurred during the first three seasons.
Key words: Misogyny, gender roles, cultivation theory, rape culture
Recommended Citation
Baumgardner, Emma, "Misogyny, Rape Culture, and the Reinforcement of Gender Roles in HBO’s Game of Thrones" (2019). Student Research Submissions. 278.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/278