Abstract

During the 1970s, women in Cleveland were extremely impactful in challenging gender norms and reflecting the ongoing second-wave feminist movement through local-level rock and roll. In rock and roll scholarship, there is a vast amount of research which explores musicians through biographical research, but this can put too much focus on a small number of highly visible women. This independent study draws on direct sources from The Cleveland Plain Dealer to reveal the impact women in Cleveland had throughout the music scene-as performers, fans, writers, and even photographers-as well as how they were being represented in local media. This Independent Study also draws on direct images and videos which allows visual analysis. Through Cleveland it was revealed that women were very successful at challenging gender discrimination through the local level as performers, fans, and working within the music industry. My study allowed me to examine a global versus local lens, where I found that women were not as successful at the global level within these same roles. This independent study is widely significant because it shows how women participated in the broader movement for women’s rights outside of the political sphere. Studying women musicians in Cleveland also opens a new viewpoint of women in rock and further scholarship could examine if women had a similar impact throughout local levels in other cities or if Cleveland was a unique city in itself.

Advisor

Welsch, Christina

Department

History

Publication Date

2019

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2019 Peter G. Zaremba