"A Young Girls Dream": Examining the Barriers Facing Female Electric Guitarists

Authors

  • Monique Bourdage independent

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5429/334

Keywords:

electric guitar, women, feminism, technology, gender

Abstract

Critics who locate the instrument’s inaccessibility to women solely in its physical design overlook cultural reasons for the lack of great female electric guitarists. The same barriers that prevent women from succeeding in other male-dominated fields also apply to the electric guitar, such as a scarcity of role models, a lack of access to education, and the masculinization of prestigious technologies. Despite allusions to rebellion, rock ‘n’ roll often promotes traditional gender roles. This paper examines the creation of along with efforts to break down these barriers, which have included women’s music festivals, riot grrrl, and rock camps for girls.

Author Biography

Monique Bourdage, independent

Monique Bourdage holds a Master of Social Science from the University of Colorado Denver. She is the founder and project director of Girls Rock Denver, a nonprofit rock 'n' roll camp for girls.

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Published

08-04-2010

Issue

Section

Articles – Open Section