This undergraduate thesis is concerning the representation of women in Broadway musical in
the second half of the 20th century. The research questions were how patriarchal society was
reflected in Broadway musicals after 1950, and whether the representation of women in
musicals influenced the social understanding of gender roles and perhaps even transcended
gender inequality. Through an analysis of social developments, cultural and political treatment
of gender and gender roles in the US, and a case study analysis of selected Broadway musicals
across the decades, it is found that representation reflects a patriarchal social structure, with an
emphasis on heterosexual romantic relationships, the female body and appearance, and the
search for one's place in society, which changes from the beginning to the end of the second
half of the century. Changes in the representation of women are noticeable and are moving
towards the feminist goal of gender equality, but only in certain feminist musicals, which are
currently in the minority.
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