Post-feminist text analysis

Abstract

This article argues that there is a need for a new form of feminist text analysis which would take account of the changes which have occurred in feminist theory, linguistic theory, critical text analysis and in sexism itself. Rather than relying on relatively simple models of interpretation, this new form of analysis, post-feminist text analysis, would demonstrate awareness of the complexity and context-specific nature of the meanings of words within texts; it would also be aware of the necessity to develop new models of analysis for sexism and gender relations. In the analysis of a British advertisement for a dating agency following this discussion, I have tried to indicate directions in which this form of analysis might take.¹