The School of Politics and International Relations is delighted to announce Robyn Muir as the winner of our Best PhD Thesis Prize for 2021. Robyn's thesis is entitled 'And They All Lived Happily Ever After? A Critical Analysis of the Disney Princess Phenomenon'.
We asked Robyn to share some thoughts on winning this award:
"I was absolutely delighted to win the School of Politics and IR’s Best Thesis Prize 2021. My thesis focused on the images of femininity within the $1.686bn Disney Princess Phenomenon. With a feminist lens, through facet methodology, I identified 5 models or ‘waves’ of femininity within the Disney Princess films through my own transferable film analysis framework. Through this, I then explored which of these models of femininity were dominant within princess merchandising, marketing and consumer experiences. Overall, I present an in-depth analysis of the remediations of the Disney Princesses, identify the micro changes within the princess phenomenon as a significant part of young consumer’s media diets, and therefore argue they must be critically examined to understand audience meaning making of gender within society. My first monograph, which is based on my thesis, The Princess is the Political, is forthcoming with Bristol University Press, and will introduce my findings as well as my transferable film analysis framework.
I would like to thank my supervisors, Professor Lucy Sargisson and Professor Steven Fielding for all their support during my time at Nottingham – as well as afterwards! I would also like to thank my examiners for their feedback on my research. A huge thank you to my family, friends and Nottingham colleagues for all their support, and for always encouraging me. Finally, thank you very much to the panel for selecting my research for Best Thesis Prize, it is a great honour for my interdisciplinary approach to study the Disney Princesses to be recognised in this way."
Robyn now works at the University of Surrey as a lecturer in Media and Communications for the Department of Sociology.
Congratulations Robyn!
Posted on Thursday 10th February 2022