Dissertation Abstracts

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Some of the items listed below are freely available online, but most are not. More details for many of them are available via the ProQuest Database but this is accessible only by subscription.

Adams, Kathleen Barzun, 2003. 
Thirty years of change : heroes, heroines, and the popular romance. Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity College.
Al-Bataineh, Afaf Badr, 1998. 
"The modern Arabic novel: a literary and linguistic analysis of the genre of popular fiction, with special reference to translation from English." Ph.D., Heriot-Watt.[1] [From the abstract at the "Index to Theses" website: "critical insights should enable us to form an overall picture of how the subject of my case study (Mills & Boon and its translation into Arabic) is viewed in the languages and cultures concerned: this particular genre has not been acceptable to the Western literary establishment until recently, and is not acceptable to the Arabic critical establishment even today. [...] Chapter Eight presents a detailed analysis of a Mills & Boon novel in English and its translation into Arabic."]
Allport, Tanya, 1988. 
Female journeys :the place of Jane Eyre and "Mills and Boon" in the search for women's existential space. Thesis (MA--English)--University of Auckland.
Avila, Debbie Maria, 2005. 
"The Romance Novel of the 1930s and 1940s in Spain and Portugal: The Cases of Carmen de Icaza and Alice Ogando." U of California Irvine (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 66.7:2572)
Backman, Nelina Esther, 1999. 
"Evangelism Embarrassed: Christian Literature in a post-Christian Culture." Ph.D. dissertation, Brown University, United States -- Rhode Island. Publication No. AAT 9932368. [Includes some discussion of "contemporary evangelical romance fiction."]
Barletta, Sandra Anne, 2008. 
A first kiss is still a first kiss: romancing the mid-life reader and heroine : A basic renovation. Thesis (M.A.(Research))--Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, 2008. Abstract and link to pdf. [Pages 1-29 are analysis of "a neglected demographic of reader and heroine who are marginalised within the romance genre. As well, it gives reasons why heroines need not be characterised in particular roles or situations as they age, and a rationale for why their underrepresentation as romance heroines should end." A Basic Renovation is a romance novel written by Barletta and included in the thesis which was "Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Creative Writing (romance)."]
Benjamin, Sarah, 1999. 
"The Theory of 'Identity Dissonance': Mass Communication, Romance Fiction, and the Self-Concept." M.A. dissertation, York University (Canada), Canada. Publication No. AAT MQ43370.
Beyer, Jennifer Ann Perry, 2000. 
The romance novel revolution :a study of criticisms and readers. Thesis (M.A.)--Bemidji State University.
Blanding, Cristen, 2005. 
Interracial romance novels and the resolution of racial difference. Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University. Abstract and PDF
Breeden, Amanda L., 2007. 
Neo romance :gender renegotiation in Harlequin romance novels. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Northern Iowa.
Bun, Jennifer C., 2007. 
"The Effects of Romance Novel Readership on Relationship Beliefs, Romantic Ideals, and Relational Satisfaction." Honors Thesis - Boston College. Full text
Burley, Stephanie Carol., 2003. 
"Hearts of Darkness: The Racial Politics of Popular Romance." U of Maryland, College Park (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 64.6: 2082)
Burnside, Mary Elizabeth, 1996. 
"The novels of Mills and Boon in the post-war period." M.Phil., Hull.[2]
Bywaters, Barbara Lee, 1989. 
"'Re-reading Jane': Jane Austen's legacy to twentieth-century women writers'. PhD thesis. Bowling Green State University. Details at BGSU library. A short excerpt of this thesis seems to be available in Georgette Heyer: A Critical Retrospective. Ed. Mary Fahnestock-Thomas. Saraland, AL: PrinnyWorld, 2001. 493-508.
Chappel, Deborah Kaye, 1992. 
"American Romances: Narratives of Culture and Identity" Duke University, Dissertation Abstracts International52 (8): 2923A-24A.
Christian, Linda Kathryn. 1984.
"'Becoming a Woman through Romance: Adolescent Novels and the Ideology of Femininity'." U. of Wisconsin, Madison (Dissertation Abstracts International: Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences) 45.5: 1282.
Coddington, Lynn, 1997. 
"Romance and Power: Writing Romance Novels as a Practice of Critical Literacy." Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Berkeley, United States -- California. Publication No. AAT 9803158.
Colemnero, Laura Elizabeth, 1999. 
"The social construction of gender as represented in popular fiction, 1990-1997." Ph.D. dissertation, South Dakota State University, Publication No. AAT 9924280. [Includes analysis of Johanna Lindsey's Gentle Rogue.]
Davis, Mary Louise, 1986. 
'Romances and the Modern Ms.: a Study of Contemporary (Line) Romances, 1980-1984.' Ph.D. diss., University of Southern California.(Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A:The Humanities and Social Sciences) 47.11, p. 4108.
Davis, Storme G. 2008. 
Nora Roberts: descendant of Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë?: a thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate School, Tennessee Technological University. Thesis (M.A.)--Tennessee Technological University, 2008.
Downey, Kristin, 2005. 
"Irony, Ideology, and Resistance: The Amazing Double Life of Harlequin Presents", McMaster University, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 66.10:3640.
Dummer, Kathleen Ann. 1990. 
A study of character development of main characters in young adult category romance literature. Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming.
Elliott, Margaret A., 1996. 
'The Librarian's Stereotyped Image in Romance Novels, 1980-1995: Has the Image Changed?', Master's Research Paper, Kent State University. ERIC Document ED401924. Abstract and PDF
Fenty, Linda D. 1987. 
"A Comparative Analysis of Female Role Models in Selected Contemporary Teen Romances." Auburn University (Dissertation Abstracts International) 48, no. 8: 2007A-2007A. Auburn University Library Catalog details.
Fera-VanGent, Tania, 2007.
'Popular Romance novels: Seeking out the 'sisterhood'." M.A. diss., Brock University (Canada).
Flesch, Juliet, 2001. 
From Australia with love :Australian romance novels, 1950-2000. Thesis (Ph.D)--Dept. of History (Women's Study), University of Melbourne.
Fletcher, Lisa, 2002. 
I love you :historical romance fiction and heterosexuality. Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne.
Geib, Aleta Esther. 1986. 
Changing heroes: depictions of the male sex role in category romance novels, 1976-1983. Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio State University.
Goade, Sally Ann, 1999. 
"'And With the Land, Our Spirits So Blended': Interrelated Frontier Quests of Self in Contemporary Historical Romance. A Study of Rosanne Bittner's 'Savage Destiny' series", Idaho State U, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 60.4:1132).
Griffin, Linda Coleman, 1999. 
"An Analysis of Meaning Creation through the Integration of Sociology and Literature: A Critical Ethnography of a Romance Reading Group." U of Houston, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences, 60.4: 1117.)
Hall, Glinda Fountain. 2008.
A genre of our own: the cultural work of women's popular romance fiction. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Arkansas State University. Catalogue record at Arkansas State University's library.
Harlan, Kimber Leigh. 2005. 
Romancing the reader: constructing a discursive and social female identity through romance novels. Thesis (M.A.) -- Tarleton State University. [Abstract available here and here.]
Harris, Patricia Marie, 1985. 
The rhetorical vision of courtship in Harlequin Romances: a fantasy theme analysis. Thesis (M.A., Communication Studies)--California State University, Sacramento.
Harzewski, Stephanie, 2006. 
"The new novel of manners: Chick lit and postfeminist sexual politics ." U of Pennsylvania, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences, 67.7:2573.)
Heffernan, Joan-Mary, 1992. 
Women's romantic fiction :a study of three New Zealand Mills and Boon authors. Dissertation (MA--English)--University of Auckland.
Henderson, Courtney R.,2007. 
"Ladies and Loners: A Comparative Gender Study of the Romance and Popular Western.' M.A. diss., The University of Texas at Arlington. Abstract and full PDF ["my focal texts for the romance genre are Johanna Lindsey’s Savage Thunder and Joan Johnston’s Frontier Woman."]
Hodgson, Kathleen, 2006. 
"The representation of the female hero in the romantic fiction of Mills & Boon." Thesis (MPhil.) - University of Reading, Institute of Education.
Hubbard, Rita Cooper, 1982. 
"Relationship Styles In Popular Romance Fiction: A Fantasy Theme Analysis Of Harlequin Romances, 1950-1979." (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 42.12:4973)
Hughes, Helen Muriel, 1988. 
"Changes In Historical Romance, 1890s To The 1980s: The Development Of The Genre From Stanley Weyman To Georgette Heyer And Her Successors." U Of Bradford (United Kingdom), (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 50.11: 3603)
Hurley, Frances Kay., 1999. 
"In the Words of Girls: The Reading of Adolescent Romance Fiction." Harvard U, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 60.6: 1946)
Jackson, Elaine, 2005. 
"Riding the tosh horse: women writers of popular romance between the wars." Thesis (doctoral) - University of Birmingham, Department of English. British Library details [From the abstract at the "Index to Theses" website: "Concentrating on three primary authors: E.M. Hull, Berta Ruck, and Marguerite Jervis (writing under pseudonyms Oliver Sandys and Countess Barcynska), this thesis examines the production and distribution of popular romance between the two World Wars. [...] Authors’ personal experiences of love and marriage are explored alongside the more public influences of editors, publishers, and literary agents. The relationship between authors and readers is also examined. This thesis demonstrates how the authors in question pioneered what we now recognize as a predominantly female romance genre [...] and that their oeuvre contribute substantially to the canon of women’s writing history."]
Janzen, Moira J. 1994. 
Georgette Heyer's Regency romances: serious literature or popular fiction? Thesis (MA--English) -- University of Auckland
Jocks, Yvonne Annette, 1988. 
“Adventure and Virtue: Alternating Emphasis in the Popular Romance Tradition.” Master’s thesis, University of Texas at Arlington. [Jocks writes romances under the pseudonym Evelyn Vaughn ]
Johnson, Naomi Ruth, 2007. 
"Consuming Desires: A Feminist Analysis of Bestselling Teen Romance Novels". The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 68.11)
Jossart, Deborah A. 2004. 
Transforming the fairytale: a diachronic study of utopias of popular romance. Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Dakota, 2004.
Kamble, Jayashree, 2008. 
"Uncovering and Recovering the Popular Romance Novel." PhD thesis from the University of Minnesota. AAT 3338954. Details, Abstract and PDF
Kebadze, Nino, 2007. 
"Fictions of Surrender: Romance and Exemplarity in Post-War Spanish Women's Narratives. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Kentucky, United States -- Kentucky. Publication No. AAT 3263682. ["The second part of this dissertation focuses on three novels by the best-selling authors of novelas rosa --Luisa-María Linares, Concha Linares-Becerra, and Carmen de Icaza."]
Kemppinen, Anne-Mari Katriina, 1988. 
"Translating for popular literature with special reference to Harlequin books and their Finnish translations." University of Joensuu. Details copied from Joensuu University Library's online catalogue.
Kinard, Amanda Marette, 1999. 
"Forbidden Pleasures: The Romance and Its Readers." Vanderbilt U.,(Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 59.12: 4424)
Kirkland, Catherine, 1984. 
"For The Love Of It: Women Writers And The Popular Romance." U of Pennsylvania, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 46.1:10.
Kloester, Jennifer V. 2004. 
"Georgette Heyer: writing the Regency: history in fiction from Regency Buck to Lady of Quality 1935-1972." Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, History Dept.
Lin, Fang-Mei, 1992. 
"Social Change and Romantic Ideology: The Impact of the Publishing Industry, Family Organization, and Gender Roles on the Reception and Interpretation of Romance Fiction in Taiwan, 1960-1990." U of Pennysylvania (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences, 53.5:1675)
Lohmann, Jennifer, 2006. 
" 'Beauty and the Beast' Themes in Romance Novels." A Master’s Paper for the M.S. in L.S degree. April, 2006. 41 pages. Advisor: Brian Sturm. A Master’s paper submitted to the faculty of the School of Information and Library Science of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Library Science. [3]
Lutz, Deborah, 2004. 
"The Dangerous Lover and the Erotics of Failure: Nineteenth-century Byronism and the Contemporary Romance. Ph.D. dissertation, City University of New York, United States -- New York. Publication No. AAT 3127895. [Has since been published by Ohio State University Press - see the main bibliography for details.]
Markert, John, 1984. 
"Beyond Gatekeepers: Romance Publishing and the Production of Culture." Ph.D. dissertation in Sociology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. Details in Vanderbilt University Library Catalogue.
McKinley, Tracey Lynn, 2007. 
'The Female Quest: An Analysis of Archetypal Layering in Harlequin Presents.' M.Ed. diss., Queen's University (Canada).
Michel, Anita, 1997. 
Re-reading the (series) romance : toward a typology of recent series romance novels. Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University.
Miguel, Donna De Silva, 2002. 
Love conquers all :the rhetoric, culture, and appeal of the contemporary romance novel, and coming to terms with coming out of the closet. Thesis (M.A.)--New Mexico State University.
Modleski, Tania. 1980. 
"'Popular Feminine Narratives: A Study of Romances, Gothics, and Soap Operas'." Stanford U., (Dissertation Abstracts International: Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences) 41.5: 2104-A.
Moffitt, Mary Anne Smeltzer, 1990. 
"Understanding Middle-Class Adolescent Leisure: A Cultural Studies Approach to Romance Novel Reading" U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, (Dissertation Abstracts International 51.4: 1035A)
Naber, Christine Marie, 1995. 
"Rape myths are the theory--romance novels are the practice: The impact of exposure to images of women in popular culture, " U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences,57.4:2950)
Neal, Lynn S., 2003. 
"Romancing God: Reading Evangelical Romance Novels." Ph.D. dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States -- North Carolina. Publication No. AAT 3086588. [Has since been published by the University of North Carolina Press - see the main bibliography for details.]
Newton, Marlo Leigh. 1991. 
Romancing the tome: the novels of Georgette Heyer. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Melbourne
Omissi, Dominic, 1995. 
"The Mills and Boon memsahibs: women's romantic Indian fiction 1877-1947." Ph.D., Lancaster. British Library details. [Abstract from the Index to Theses website: "This thesis examines the published written work of eleven different women. The material is principally in the form of romantic novels but short stories form a significant minority along with poetry, autobiography, history, and contemporary political comment. [...] All but one of the writers spent extended periods in India and numerous of their works have never been discussed in any critical work of which I am aware. [...] the current work challenges the dominant image of India, its climate, people and imperial significance, drawn from the writings of men like Kipling, Forster and Orwell. The study concludes that this image (which I call the canonical image) is utterly inappropriate when measured against the writings of these women. Their work is, I conclude, in certain important respects counter-canonical.]
Owen, Mairead, 1992. 
"Women's Reading of Popular Romantic Fiction: A Case Study in the Mass Media: A Key to the Ideology of Women." U. of Liverpool, (Dissertation Abstracts International 52.8: 2745A)
Paizis, George, 1986. 
"'Reine ou esclave ... ' : conflicting images of women in the contemporary 'romantic novel' in France." Ph.D. Thesis, University of London. Details
Parameswaran, Radhika E., 1998. 
"Public Images, Private Pleasures: Romance Reading at the Intersection of Gender, Class, and National Identities in Urban India." U of Iowa, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 58.12:4485)
Pearce, Elizabeth Florence, 2004. 
"Reading the Lesbian Romance: Re-imagining Love, Sex, Relationships, and Community." Ph.D. dissertation, The University of Iowa, United States -- Iowa. Publication No. AAT 3139383. ["The core of the research emerged from the face-to-face, phone and e-mail conversations with readers of lesbian romance texts" and one section is "based on an examination of twenty-five lesbian romance novels."]
Rampure, Archana, 2005. 
"Doctors in the Darkness: Reading Race, Gender, and History in the Popular Medical Romance ", U of Toronto, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 66.10:3642)
Rutherford, Carina Lynn, 1999. 
Wild dreams rooted in reality :an exploration of the Harlequin Mills & Boon novels of Daphne Clair. Thesis (MA--English)--University of Auckland.
Sanyal, Madhuparna, 2008. 
"Re-imagining the late-colonial Anglo-Indian woman's romance: Reading Maud Diver." PhD dissertation, Drew University. AAT 3334864. Details from Drew University Library
Smáradóttir, Helena María, 2006. 
"Happily Ever-After: The Romance Reader's Individual Choice and Empowerment." B.A. thesis. University of Iceland.
Smáradóttir, Helena María, 2009. 
"Love as a Commodity: Brand-Name Romantic Fiction and its Readers. The Domain and Readership of Harlequin Enterprises, Both in Iceland and Abroad." Thesis submitted for a master's degree at the University of Iceland. Various sections available online: Summary, Table of Contents, Introduction, Conclusion, Works Cited, Appendix. Those wishing to read more of this thesis or the author's B.A. thesis may contact the author directly.
Smith, William Clay Kinchen, 2002. 
"Revising Captivity Narratives", U of Florida. [4] [This thesis deals with many types of captivity narrative, but there are sections specifically about romances. In the chapter on works from the 1980s, there is a section on romance (341-354), and the chapter concerning the 1990s has a similar section (373-378). Romance authors whose works are discussed include Madeline Baker, Karen A. Bale, Cassie Edwards, Fern Michaels, Nan Ryan and Janelle Taylor.]
Starr, Marian, 1981. 
Sweet Savage Book: The Romance in America, 1855-1980, Honors paper, Duke University. This is a typescript manuscript with 118 leaves (the bibliography can be found on leaves 106-118). OCLC Number: 07724196. Details in Duke University's Library Catalogue. [As far as modern romances are concerned, the focus is on the historical romances of the seventies (Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, etc.) with particular emphasis on their rape-fantasy aspects.]
Sterk, Helen Mae, 1986. 
"Functioning fictions :the adjustment rhetoric of Silhouette romance novels." Ph.D. U. of Iowa, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 47.7:2372)
Tatlock, Kristen Doris, 1986. 
Raised on romance :a cultural study of romance fiction. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Virginia.
Tennenhouse, Tracy Shana, 1996. 
"Female Fantasies in Women's Popular Fiction", U California Santa Barbara, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 57.9:3943)
Therrien, Kathleen Mary, 1998. 
"Trembling at Her Own Response: Resistance and Reconciliation in Mass-Market Romance Novels." (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 58.7: 2659) [Special focus on Julie Garwood, Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz and Susan Wiggs.]
Uddin-Khan, Evelyn Angelina, 1995. 
"Gender, Ethnicity and the Romance Novel," Columbia U, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 56.11:4341)
Walker, Lynn G., 2000. 
Women Reading Popular Fiction: Influences on Gender Identity. Thesis (M.A.L.S.)--North Central College.
White, Ann Yvonne, 2008. 
Genesis Press: Cultural Representation and the Production of African American Romance Novels. Ph.D. thesis from the University of Iowa. [Link to University of Iowa catalogue details.]
Wilson, Elizabeth Suzanne, 1986. 
Women creating men :the history of the hero in contemporary category romance fiction since the 1950s. Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Wirtén, Eva Hemmungs, 1998. 
Global Infatuation: Explorations in Transnational Publishing and Texts: The case of Harlequin Enterprises and Sweden, Section for Sociology of Literature at the Department of Literature, Uppsala University. PDF
Young, Beth Rapp, 1995. 
"But are they any good? Women readers, formula fiction, and the sacralization of the literary canon", U of Southern California, (Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities and Social Sciences 57.2:893)
Zachik-Smith, Susie, 1993. 
Romance by the book :a morphological analysis of the popular romance. Thesis (M.A.)--California State University, San Bernardino.
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