Sara D’Ambrosio

Winter 2024 Capstone Project Title: Expressions of Femininity in 1990s Rock Music

Project Description: In my Capstone project, I researched the extent to which expressions of femininity in 1990s women’s rock serve as a form of resistance against gender stereotypes, and the Western patriarchal social system. I researched this through analysis of third wave feminism in the 1990s, the genre of rock as resistance against gender stereotypes, and the commentary of women in rock on female rage and female hyper sexualization. I then analyzed how these elements construct resistance against gender stereotypes, and how they impact patriarchal social systems as a whole.

The 1C06 Capstone experience: For this term’s Capstone project, I knew that I wanted to focus on something that I enjoyed on a daily basis, such as music. I enjoy music and the arts as a hobby, and I wanted to expand my knowledge of them through scholarly research. I chose women’s rock in the 1990s due to its large impact on the music industry at the time, and also because I wanted to learn more about this genre of music. I wanted to analyze research and write about something I was passionate about, and I found that combining my interests in music with scholarly work on patriarchal social systems was both an interesting and effective way to do this.

Key Takeaways: The main thing that I have learned from the process of the Capstone project is how to properly analyze and organize my research. I found that for the Fall 2023 Capstone project, I was confused about how to organize my thoughts and ideas based on my research. This semester, I feel that I have better learned how to make notes about my sources, outline my ideas through brainstorming, and organize my sources effectively. I believe that the poster session this semester also contributed to this organization, allowing me to write my Capstone project with clearly outlined, concise ideas.

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