Comprehending Gender Issues through Photography: A South African Case Study

With regards to gender, the constitution of South Africa holds one of the most advanced positions in the world. Yet social realities seem far removed from written ideals. This book examines the role of cultural production in bridging the gap. In 2005, the author Irina Turner examined the photography exhibition Is Everybody Comfortable? at the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town, South Africa. The exhibition was produced by the Market Photography Workshop in Johannesburg.The author analyses to which extent contemporary South African photography can influence society`s perception of a postmodern gender concept. The study outlines the emergence of this gender notion in South Africa embedding it in the context of arts and culture. Based on that edifice, a discursive analysis of the exhibition in Cape Town - supported by interviews with visitors, photographers, and critics - investigates to which extent gender theory can be applied to social reality. This book is written for professionals in the cultural sector, for gender activists, for development practitioners, and for everybody concerned with the implementation of theory into practice.

Qualified Arts Manager (University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, Germany 2005), MA Arts Media Theory and Practice (University of Cape Town, South Africa 2008). Fields of interest: gender, media, arts and culture, globalization and development.