University of Nottingham Malaysia
School of English
     
  

Book Launch 'Professional Discourses, Gender and Identity in Women's Media'

Date(s)
9th April 2021
Contact
Should you have any queries, please contact Shivani Sivagurunathan.
Description
The School of English, University of Nottingham Malaysia is proud to invite you to a talk by Dr Melissa Yoong on her recently published book ‘Professional Discourses, Gender and Identity in Women's Media’.

The book explores discourses on career and caregiving in media ‘for women’ by analysing magazine and newspaper articles and radio talk. Drawing on feminist critical discourse analysis, critical stylistics and feminist conversation analysis, it identifies a range of gendered discourses that are underpinned by neoliberal feminism and postfeminism. The book reveals how these discourses substitute balance, individual success, self-transformation and positive feelings for structural change, and entrench issues hindering gender workplace equality.

Join us for a discussion about this book and its critical account of work-family balance, extensive and intensive mothering, male breadwinning, workplace stereotypes, and aesthetic labour.

Details
Date: 9 April 2021, Friday
Time: 17:00 to 18:00 (GMT+8)
Location: Webinar via MS Teams

Praise for the book

“A highly original approach to understanding some of the discourses that construct, reinforce and contest gender inequalities in Malaysia. Yoong's insightful analysis of written and spoken media through a critical, feminist lens will provide food for thought for scholars everywhere.”
- Lia Litosseliti, Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, City, University of London

“An extremely rigorous and timely examination of how gender inequality in the workplace and beyond is maintained and normalized in Malaysia, with particular—and fascinating focus—on women’s media. With brilliant analyses, fine detail and impressive conceptual clarity, Yoong’s book offers absolutely crucial insight into how postfeminism and neoliberal feminism take on specific contours in the Malaysian context. A significant contribution to the feminist discussion.”
- Catherine Rottenberg, Associate Professor, University of Nottingham UK,
and author of The Rise of Neoliberal Feminism

“This is a rich account of how media language and discourse continue to perpetuate gender inequality at the workplace and reinforce gender gaps in leadership positions. Successful women are portrayed as acing the perfect balancing act, while treading through the fine lines between norms and taboos. By unravelling the reality behind such an idealisation this book is a notable contribution towards our understanding of the postfeminist phase of women’s striving for empowerment and autonomy.” 
- Maznah Mohamad, Associate Professor, National University of Singapore

About the author
Melissa Yoong is Assistant Professor in Sociolinguistics at the University of Nottingham Malaysia. She has published research exploring language, gender and workplace issues in print, broadcast and digital media. 

School of English

University of Nottingham Malaysia
Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia

telephone: +603 8924 8000
fax: +603 8924 8001

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