{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/7858"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/7858","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Confession, surveillance and subjectivity : a discourse analytic approach to advice columns","abstract":"This dissertation applies the theoretical ideas of Michel Foucault -viz. confession, surveillance and subjectivity - to advice columns from three South African women's magazines. An interpretative analysis effects of discourse, renders salient the relationship between knowledges, discursive practices, power and institutions. Using, as a standing point, Wendy Hollway's work on subject positioning of women in discourses concerning heterosexual relationship practice, the ways in which women are impelled to \"\"work\"\" in psychologized and medicalized ways to effect normalization in \"\"crises\"\" of \"\"physical attractiveness\"\" and \"\"monogamy\"\" are examined in advice texts. These technologies and practices produce rewards of power for Subjection, and these powers are critically discussed in terms of (a) \"\"liberal\"\" / \"\"humanist\"\", ''feminist'' and \"\"Foucauldian\"\" strategies of women's empowerment, and (b) the formal dynamics and constraints of advice columns.","abstract_html":"This dissertation applies the theoretical ideas of Michel Foucault -viz. confession, surveillance and subjectivity - to advice columns from three South African women's magazines. An interpretative analysis effects of discourse, renders salient the relationship between knowledges, discursive practices, power and institutions. Using, as a standing point, Wendy Hollway's work on subject positioning of women in discourses concerning heterosexual relationship practice, the ways in which women are impelled to ""work"" in psychologized and medicalized ways to effect normalization in ""crises"" of ""physical attractiveness"" and ""monogamy"" are examined in advice texts. These technologies and practices produce rewards of power for Subjection, and these powers are critically discussed in terms of (a) ""liberal"" / ""humanist"", ''feminist'' and ""Foucauldian"" strategies of women's empowerment, and (b) the formal dynamics and constraints of advice columns.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Wilbraham, Lindy Anne"],"institution":"Department of Psychology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Levett, Ann"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1994,"date_issued":"1994","date_published":"1994","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:26Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7858","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Levett, Ann"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Wilbraham, Lindy Anne"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-10-01T08:06:49Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-10-01T08:06:49Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1994"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Psychology"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MA"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7858"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Bibliography: leaves 162-180."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This dissertation applies the theoretical ideas of Michel Foucault -viz. confession, surveillance and subjectivity - to advice columns from three South African women's magazines. An interpretative analysis effects of discourse, renders salient the relationship between knowledges, discursive practices, power and institutions. Using, as a standing point, Wendy Hollway's work on subject positioning of women in discourses concerning heterosexual relationship practice, the ways in which women are impelled to \"\"work\"\" in psychologized and medicalized ways to effect normalization in \"\"crises\"\" of \"\"physical attractiveness\"\" and \"\"monogamy\"\" are examined in advice texts. These technologies and practices produce rewards of power for Subjection, and these powers are critically discussed in terms of (a) \"\"liberal\"\" / \"\"humanist\"\", ''feminist'' and \"\"Foucauldian\"\" strategies of women's empowerment, and (b) the formal dynamics and constraints of advice columns."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Confession, surveillance and subjectivity : a discourse analytic approach to advice columns"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Levett, Ann"],"dc:creator":["Wilbraham, Lindy Anne"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-10-01T08:06:49Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-10-01T08:06:49Z"],"dc:date.issued":["1994"],"dc:description":["Bibliography: leaves 162-180."],"dc:description.abstract":["This dissertation applies the theoretical ideas of Michel Foucault -viz. confession, surveillance and subjectivity - to advice columns from three South African women's magazines. 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These technologies and practices produce rewards of power for Subjection, and these powers are critically discussed in terms of (a) \"\"liberal\"\" / \"\"humanist\"\", ''feminist'' and \"\"Foucauldian\"\" strategies of women's empowerment, and (b) the formal dynamics and constraints of advice columns."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7858"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Psychology"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:title":["Confession, surveillance and subjectivity : a discourse analytic approach to advice columns"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MA"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:26Z"}