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Abstract

Drag is an artform that has existed for centuries, with the modern drag scene arguably being developed in the 1960s and 70s Harlem ballroom scene. This scene was built for and by queer people, with black trans performers like Crystal LaBeija pioneering the scene and forming the original drag houses which are still immensely prevalent today. In the modern era, however, drag is exploding into the mainstream thanks to cultural institutions like RuPaul’s Drag Race, a reality television show that has been spotlighting drag since 2009. Many believe that this has led to a homogenisation of what was once a deeply subversive, powerfully queer artform, now prioritising commercial success over artistic integrity.
This critical discursive psychological study aims to find out how drag producers and consumers understand the embodiment of gender through drag, as well as how drag is produced and consumed based on societal gender norms. As well as this, it aims to find out the role and function that drag plays for those producing and consuming it in the modern era, as well as whether the authenticity or ‘purity’ of drag has been impacted by the mainstreaming of drag culture. Utilising semi-structured interviews with both drag performers and fans, this study aims to explore the unique lived experiences of those engaging with modern drag culture, and how they negotiate and understand complexities surrounding identity, activism, and commercialisation within the context of drag.

Course: Sociology with Pyschology - BSc (Hons) - C1509

Date Deposited: 2024-01-25

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14324.html