"Misogyny across Global Media," Maria Marron’s second book in the Communicating Gender Series, has just been published by Lexington Books, a division of Rowman & Littlefield.
Marron, a professor of journalism in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, edited chapters from scholars worldwide and co-wrote a chapter on representations of misogyny in the Irish and English press.
The book’s topics include media coverage of misogyny in the art world, music and movies as well as femicide in Turkey; rape by the military in Jammu and Kashmir, North India; the controversial Bangladeshi Child Marriage Restraint Act; misogyny in Bollywood; and sexual violence, assault and rape in Africa, particularly in Zimbabwe and Kenya.
The book’s analysis of global events demonstrates that power inequality and misogyny stem from patriarchal institutional systems and contribute to women’s differential treatment and suffering—resulting in everything from harassment to sexual assault and even murder.
“Misogyny is a highly relevant topic in today’s society,” Marron said. “The media report instances of the misogynistic treatment of women and minorities on a daily basis. Misogyny is a serious and ubiquitous but often subtle form of discrimination, often placing the victim in the invidious position of having to defend herself rather than placing blame on the protagonist.”
“Misogynists often deny intent or any wrongdoing or they shield themselves in their respect for their wives and daughters while being abusive toward other women. When Rep. Ted Yoko (R-Fla.) used profanity about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on the steps of the U.S. Capitol last summer, Ocasio-Cortez responded by saying, ‘This is not new, and that is the problem. This is not about one incident. It is cultural. It is a culture ... accepting of violence and violent language against women, and an entire structure of power that supports that.’”
Marron’s first book, “Misogyny and Media in the Age of Trump,” explored how misogyny upholds and reinforces masculine authority and control in both the domestic and public spheres and how it is communicated through political editorial cartoons, news, sports, film, television, and social media.
“As the contributors in Maria B. Marron’s timely edited volume Misogyny across Global Media reveal, hateful and stereotypical misogynistic representation today is also shaped by media conglomeration, new technologies, culture, war, and the legacies of colonialism,” said Carolyn M. Byerly of Howard University in an endorsement for the book. “Most importantly, authors reveal the ways in which women across cultures are defying mediated misogyny through art, the #MeToo movement, and other strategies. Together, these chapters offer a fresh look at feminist media representation, ethics, and activism in a range of cultural contexts. Interdisciplinary, international, intercultural, and intersectional, this book greatly expands the women-and-media literature.”
Mehita Iqani, University of the Witwatersrand, noted: “Across the broad diversity of women in the world—trans and cis, rich and poor, urban and rural, spiritual and agnostic—one thing that is common to their experiences is misogyny ... This book makes a fantastic contribution to the project of fighting for gender equity by showing how misogyny is mediated in diverse contexts across the globe. It is an apt and timely reminder of how our struggles are connected.”
Learn more about Marron's second book "Misogyny across Global Media" here.
