The Black Woman Political Experience as an Outsider Within inthe Film Shirley (2024)

Oleh :
Tita Desy Fitriyanti - B0322078 - Fak. Ilmu Budaya

Tita Desy Fitriyanti. B0322078. The Representation of Black Women's OutsiderWithin Experience in the Film ‘Shirley (2024)’. Thesis: English Deparment,Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Sebelas MaretThis study examines the representation of the political experiences of Blackwomen through the concept of the Outsider Within, focusing on the portrayal ofShirley Chisholm. The aim of this analysis is to understand the position of Blackwomen within the American political system, highlighting the experiences ofmarginalisation and discrimination faced by Black women. It employs aqualitative descriptive method using Christian Metz semiotic approach,specifically syntagmatic and paradigmatic analysis combined with RolandBarthes’s concepts of denotation and connotation. Patricia Hill Collins’s conceptof the outsider within serves as the primary theoretical framework. The researchfindings reveal how Shirley is represented as a figure who is both within andoutside political institutions through cinematic elements such as camera angles,framing, dialogue, and mise-en-scène. Although she occupies a formal place in thepolitical sphere, Shirley continues to face racial and gender discrimination as wellas power imbalances. Ultimately, this study highlights the lack of equality withinthe system whilst also highlighting the struggles of Black women in achievingpolitical recognition and social acceptance.