Abstract

This thesis is a qualitative textual analysis of the mass media and popular culture sources emphasizing an in-depth reading of stories about the Karla Leanne Homolka case. Unveiling patterns of coverage proved useful in establishing which ideas about women and crime the mass media and popular culture promote in an attempt at producing a particular understanding of female criminality. This study has shown that the mass media and popular culture produce a dichotomous understanding of female criminality. On the one hand, the media encourages us to recognize that women who find themselves in extraordinarily violent circumstances feel generally helpless and compelled to adopt violent behaviors and engage in criminal activities. But at the same time, the media encourages us to understand that women who commit crimes are inherently evil, callous and remorseless. In the end, this study has successfully shown that the understanding of female criminality produced by the media can result in having us perceive women in trouble with the law as either innocent victims or as contemptuous outlaws.