Iconic Books, Design, and Gender

Date of Award

Winter 12-22-2021

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Religion

Advisor(s)

Watts, James W.

Keywords

Design, Gender, Iconic books

Subject Categories

Art and Design | Arts and Humanities | Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Religion

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on materiality of sacred books and examines how colors of sacred books can function as visual design elements which can activate some meanings in relation to gender and sexuality of the intended and unintended users of sacred books. Gendered design conventions and cultural associations of colors can make a difference to the iconic value of sacred books for the genders and sexualities of its readers and for their significance in religious and cultural contexts. The dissertation discusses two major meaning-making processes through examples: It analyzes how the colors of sacred books can reinforce gender binary and can contribute to legitimizing heteronormativity by activating the legitimatizing effect of iconic books. It examines how the colors of sacred books can also disrupt gender binary and can contribute to legitimizing non-normative sexualities, again, by activating the legitimatizing effect of iconic books. In doing so, this study brings together two bodies of scholarship: scholarship on the materiality of sacred books, and scholarship on how objects and the colors of objects can impact discourses of gender and sexuality.

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