Critical Perspectives

Thesis proposal OGR

Annie Roberts
18.2.19
A look into how animated media has
represented non-gendered characters from
1960s through to the 2000s
Thesis Synopsis
For my dissertation i’m going to be exploring gender representation in
animated media. Including cartoons, anime, film and games. I’ll be looking at
gender theorists Judith Butler and Nancy Chodorow, and also at sex vs gender
and gender stereotypes in media.

My Case Studies are Steven Universe, Catherine and Princess Knight. I’ll be
looking at how they represent different genders both positively, negatively
and inbetween.
Chapter 1
In this chapter I will introduce the subject of my essay and what I hope to
achieve. I want to look into how gender has been represented through
animated media in terms of stereotypes and discrimination.

I will define what gender is, look into sex vs gender, and look at Gender
Theory in application to general media. (Television, Music, Shows, Films, etc)
Chapter 2
I’ll apply Gender Theory into more specific areas of the media, Cartoons,
Anime etc, and look into Nancy Chodorow and Judith Butler's take on the
subject.

I’ll also look at Teresa L Thompsons and Eugenia Zerbinos’ paper on Gender
Roles in Animated Cartoons from 1995, and look into the view of Gender roles
from that point in history.
Chapter 3
In this chapter I’ll look at my case studies:

Steven Universe - 2013 - Present | Modern cartoon with multiple non

gendered characters. (Positive)

Princess Knight - 1967 | One of the first animated series with non gendered
titular character. (Inbetween)

Catherine - 2011 | A Japanese game with a Trans Woman, mistreated and

dead named by not only the characters in the game, but also by ATLUS.
(Negative)
Research Proforma
Author: Julia Serano
Title: On the Outside Looking In
Publisher: Hot Tranny Action press
Place of Publication: Oakland
Date: 2005

Julias look into transgender

representation in Media from her
point of view as a Trans Women.
Author: Teresa L. Thompson and
Eugenia Zerbinos
Title: Gender Roles in Animated
Cartoons
Publisher: Plenum Publishing
Corporation
Place of Publication: University of
Dayton
Date: 1995

Study done in the 1970s on gender

representation in children’s
cartoons.
Author: Lilian Min
Title: Steven Universe’s Quiet
Gender Revolutions
Publisher: Bitch Media
Place of Publication: Los Angeles
Date: 2016

Looking into the Gender

Representation of Steven Universe
compared to other TV shows and
Films, and how it sets a standard of
diversity.
Author: Michelle Villanueva
Title: The Bizarre Gender Politics of
Osamu Tezuka’s Princess Knight
Publisher: Syfy Wire
Place of Publication:
Date: 2017

Looking into how Princess Knight

broke the norms of Gender Roles
back in 1967, but now seems like a
bit of a mess in terms of
representation.
Author: Carol Grant
Title: Atlus, We Haven't Forgotten
Your Mishandling of LGBTQ
Characters
Publisher: Waypoint
Place of Publication:
Date: 2017

Looking into the transphobia of

Catherine by ATLUS and other
mishandling of LGBT characters in
their Persona games.
Author: ASaiyan
Title: The Phobic Crimes of Katsura
Hashino (Director/Producer, ATLUS)
Publisher: Resetera
Place of Publication:
Date: 2019

A forum containing a compiled list

of all the homophobia and
transphobia Katsura Hashino has
purposely included in his games. All
being confirmed by himself as his
own views of LGBT people.
Author: Judith Butler
Title: Gender Trouble
Publisher: Routledge
Place of Publication: America
Date: 1990

A book written by Judith Butler on

her Theory of Gender, arguing that
gender is a kind of improvised
performance.
Author: Shane Verkest
Title: How Rebecca Sugar Risked It
All For Representation
Publisher: The Roundtable
Place of Publication:
Date: 2018

A short video documenting Rebecca

Sugar's struggle at Cartoon Network
to include gender diversity in order
to represent different genders and
sexualities to children and say it's
okay.