"in this house it's 1954" the representation of women in The Sopranos /

by 1977- Kahrs, Susan Alexandra

The Sopranos, an HBO Original Series, is one of the most popular programs on television. This thesis will examine the representations of women in The Sopranos. Grounded in cultural studies, feminist theory, and feminist media studies, this research was based on a number of assumptions. First among these is the belief that meaning is socially constructed and never fixed, but constantly produced and reproduced. Second, culture can only be understood in relation to issues of power. Third, popular culture is a site of struggle, and fourth, that it is essential to understand how media help shape the values, norms, and beliefs that reinforce gender inequities. Finally, research is a political act. A textual analysis of seasons 1 and 4 uncovered how patriarchy is the dominant ideology on the show. The Sopranos presents a rigid, regressive form of patriarchy where traditional roles, including the mother figure, were fractured and dysfunctional.