Who is Sayin' She's a Gold Digger?

Representations of African American women in rap
music and hip-hop culture are often negative,
sexually objectifying and misogynistic. Jennifer
Pemberton systematically explores the extent to which
rap music lyrics reproduce or challenge
socio-historical gendered and racialized ideologies
of women and their sexuality through a qualitative
content analysis of lyrics on platinum-selling rap
albums. She is primarily interested in the gendered
scripts, or gendering practices, made available to
young women in the lyrics of rap music. Utilizing
feminist theories of gender hegemony and the
intersectionality of gender, race, social class, and
sexuality, Pemberton explains that hegemonic
femininity (as well as masculinity) in hip-hop
culture both differs from and is similar to the
qualities and characteristics of women (and men)
assumed to be hegemonic for the broader social
structure and/or mainstream culture. Rap music
lyrics also contain scripts for women that can be
considered pariah femininities. And, a few scripts
for women resist or challenge the hegemonic gender
order in hip-hop culture.

Autorentext

Jennifer M. Pemberton is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at
Young Harris College. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from
Florida State University and her areas of specialization include
sex/gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, and theory.

Klappentext

Representations of African American women in rap
music and hip-hop culture are often negative,
sexually objectifying and misogynistic. Jennifer
Pemberton systematically explores the extent to which
rap music lyrics reproduce or challenge
socio-historical gendered and racialized ideologies
of women and their sexuality through a qualitative
content analysis of lyrics on platinum-selling rap
albums. She is primarily interested in the gendered
scripts, or gendering practices, made available to
young women in the lyrics of rap music. Utilizing
feminist theories of gender hegemony and the
intersectionality of gender, race, social class, and
sexuality, Pemberton explains that hegemonic
femininity (as well as masculinity) in hip-hop
culture both differs from and is similar to the
qualities and characteristics of women (and men)
assumed to be hegemonic for the broader social
structure and/or mainstream culture. Rap music
lyrics also contain scripts for women that can be
considered pariah femininities. And, a few scripts
for women resist or challenge the hegemonic gender
order in hip-hop culture.