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An analysis of the portrayal of women in mainstream pop music.

We are a group of Secondary 3 students from Hwa Chong Institution. This is our webpage for our project entitled "Running the World: An Analysis of the Portrayal of Women in Mainstream Pop Music".

WHAT IS FEMINISM?

For the purposes of our project, we focused on third-wave feminism. A good question to associate with third-wave feminism is "What does it mean to be a feminist?" This wave of feminism is characterised by its fluid barriers, and its diverse group of participants. There are no set rules -- one feminist may be against sexual liberation, while another may embrace it as a step forward for the female gender.

Music is ubiquitous in modern society. It serves many purposes, one of which is to get a message across to a large audience easily.

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Pop music attracts listeners with a backing instrumental track that is rhythmic and easy to remember. Lyrics are then filled in, and it is these lyrics that make the greatest impression on their listeners. An infectious rhythm can easily deliver a message, which is why commercial advertisements have been known to use a catchy beat with impressionable lyrics in order to make an impression on and attract potential customers. (Bakula, 2014)

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Even before the modern age of commercial advertising where so-called “earworms” are common, the power of music has been harnessed in a much more sinister way… as propaganda, such as during World War II. (Music and the Holocaust)

WHY MUSIC?

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