Patriarchal Pits: The Gendered Experiences of Female Concert Photographers

• In Event: ICA Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Poster Session: Feminist Scholarship Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

While the presence of women in photojournalism is increasing, the way they are treated by their male counterparts remains unbalanced. Through the lens of feminist theory and embodiment, this study examines how the gendered experience plays out for women in a particular niche of photojournalism, concert photography. Considered a branch of lifestyle journalism, concert photography provides a glimpse into our society and culture. In-depth interviews with male and female concert photographers show women still face a form of patriarchal oppression in the field. This is seen through gendered language, such as “one of the guys” versus a “mom in the pit,” embodied actions such as direct sexual harassment or indirect subtleties, and in how women are questioned when they identify themselves as a photographer.

Author

• Kyser Lough, The U of Texas at Austin