What it Means to be a Female Citizen in North Korea: Visually Constructing Female Identities in North Korean Propaganda Posters

This thesis investigates the visual promotion of government-constructed female identities and addresses the question of how the North Korean government visually constructs the ideal female citizen. It does so to uncover the underlying narratives that the North Korean state seeks to promote about womanhood, national identity, and allegiance to the regime. It conducts extensive literature research on the current field of study to generate theories and variables to test. Using a mixed methods approach, it examines 130 North Korean propaganda posters and 272 depicted characters between 2000-2010. This study finds that the posters greatly emphasise a dichotomy between male and female duties and characteristics. The North Korean regime employs diverse strategies in symbolism and composition that equate most female identities to docile and demure and put them in charge of delegating traditional culture. It can be interpreted that the regime seeks to visualise nationalised womanhood that...Show moreThis thesis investigates the visual promotion of government-constructed female identities and addresses the question of how the North Korean government visually constructs the ideal female citizen. It does so to uncover the underlying narratives that the North Korean state seeks to promote about womanhood, national identity, and allegiance to the regime. It conducts extensive literature research on the current field of study to generate theories and variables to test. Using a mixed methods approach, it examines 130 North Korean propaganda posters and 272 depicted characters between 2000-2010. This study finds that the posters greatly emphasise a dichotomy between male and female duties and characteristics. The North Korean regime employs diverse strategies in symbolism and composition that equate most female identities to docile and demure and put them in charge of delegating traditional culture. It can be interpreted that the regime seeks to visualise nationalised womanhood that connects the citizens through tradition, culture, and community.Show less

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What it Means to be a Female Citizen in North Korea: Visually Constructing Female Identities in North Korean Propaganda Posters