Browsing by Author "Hunter, Katherine"

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    An investigation of affect responses drawn from South African tertiary level visual communication students by means of illustrating the corporeal feminine through comic book art.
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Hunter, Katherine; Alexander, Neeske; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sequential narratives, generally referred to as comics, which directly address the nature of the female body and its flows, have both been censured and praised. These comics have resulted in affecting their readers in different ways, leading to feelings of excitement, interest, repulsion or even intense anger. The intention of this research was to investigate the way in which corporeal feminism may generate affect responses through the comic book, Shapes of flow. The case of corporeal feminism has been seen by feminists from both a positive and a negative perspective, depending on whether feminists view biological sex as an empowering or marginalising force. Many aspects of this topic are viewed as taboo subjects in a socio-cultural environment, which has further strengthened the hesitation to theorise the female body. Affect theory ties well into this debate, as it can be employed as a tool to investigate human reactions toward disputed topics. The theoretical themes that were analysed also included difference feminism and South African feminism. Elizabeth Grosz (1994:xii) suggested the image of a Mobius strip to approach ‘dualist pairs’ that are believed to result in essentialism and marginalisation, such as sex/gender and self/other. The Mobius strip concept has potential to bridge these gaps. Another powerful feminist theory that emerged from the research, is Bracha Etinger’s matrixial borderspace (Ettinger 2006:220). A case study was employed to collect qualitative data from eleven tertiary level students, who study Visual Communication at a design institution in the Western Cape region. A naturalistic research paradigm was utilised to collect qualitative data by means of semi-structured interviews, field observations and a group discussion. An interpretive and inductive approach was employed to analyse the collected data. The study found that there still seems to be discomfort amongst both men and women to discuss the body and issues relating to it. The discomfort was especially significant in response to matters concerning menstruation. Several of the participants recalled personal experiences in which they felt ashamed or embarrassed as a result of the natural functions of their bodies. Similarly, the corporeal feminine has been suppressed and silenced in discourse for a long time, even in feminist discussions. The comic that was presented to the participants was able to introduce silenced ‘taboo’ topics into everyday discussions. In addition, affect is formed within a cultural framework. This means that affect can be utilised to enforce dominant power regimes, but it can also be used to dismantle them.