I have decided that my personal study, based around the overall theme of Occupation and Liberation, will be based on the liberation and suppression (occupation) of gender expression, and the negative influences that stereotypes and suppressing ones true identity (likes and dislikes) can have on an individual. I will focus my work around the theme of breaking gender stereotypes, and the backlash that people often face from doing so, as well as the liberation they can feel when supported and understood. Here, I have interpreted the theme of Liberation and Occupation in my own personal way, as I along with a number of people that I know and live around, regardless of gender, face discrimination and retaliation from breaking the classic masculine-male, feminine-female stereotypes. I want to be able to interpret this theme in order to show the progress of how atypical expression has become more accepted as history has progressed, while at the same time showing the problems that still occur today, such as bullying and the mental health issues that can result from oppression and having to disguise and hide ones real identity.

I created a mind map in order to arrange my ideas, and in doing so developed some ideas for a photoshoot that I could use to begin the process of creating images around the concept of the historical context of gender roles, and the way they have changed and developed over time. I want to be able to show a contrast between “now” and “then”, incorporating aspects of different periods in time such as clothing styles and typical gendered-jobs into each image.