Dutch media coverage of female politicians within national government has been subject to a pattern of misogynistic representation and sexist language use. Discourse used in relation to female...Show moreDutch media coverage of female politicians within national government has been subject to a pattern of misogynistic representation and sexist language use. Discourse used in relation to female politicians is built upon stereotypes including women as witch-like individuals, as intellectually inferior, and as aggressive instead of assertive. This thesis strives to examine the representation of Dutch female politicians in the Dutch media through a lens of gender performativity, which refers to the theory that gender is not an inherent truth but a performed social construct that can be deconstructed and analysed. Through literary review of oft-weaponised stereotypes regarding women in a professional environment, followed by discourse analysis of Dutch media coverage of women in national politics, I aim to portray an increased level of negative and stereotypical language use in Dutch news and media outlets when reporting on Dutch female politicians as opposed to their male colleagues.Show less
This thesis is a qualitative analysis of the clothing of Japanese Gothic Lolita women supported by six remarks. The study hypothesises that the statements made were meant to redefine gender...Show moreThis thesis is a qualitative analysis of the clothing of Japanese Gothic Lolita women supported by six remarks. The study hypothesises that the statements made were meant to redefine gender identities, societal values, and gender role expectations for women in the Japanese society and to find empowerment within the societal structures. It hypothesises that the statements were meant to signify a rebellion against the idea that dressing in a stereotypically feminine, childlike, and kawaii way is disempowering for women. Furthermore, this research finds that Japanese Gothic Lolitas lay the foundation to rethink the gendered structures embedded in the Japanese society through the signifiers of their clothing and the discourse within their statements by defining themselves not in relation to others, but to themselves. Thus, a framework is created that allows women to rebel against the traditional constraints of gender role expectations and to redefine their identities as influential, assertive individuals.Show less
The following thesis uses Critical Discourse Analysis to perform a qualitative examination of four statements made by pro-choice campaigners during the 2018 abortion legalisation campaign in...Show moreThe following thesis uses Critical Discourse Analysis to perform a qualitative examination of four statements made by pro-choice campaigners during the 2018 abortion legalisation campaign in Argentina. On August 8th, 2018 the Argentinian Senate held a historic vote in which they rejected the request to make reproductive laws less restrictive. The following work hypothesises that the statements released by pro-choice campaigners were made to rebel against the concepts of marianismo and motherhood in order to attempt to reconstruct the traditional female gender identity in Argentina. It finds that the campaigners used the discourse within their statements to try to create a new framework for Argentinian women in which they could rebel against the traditional constraints of marianismo and redefine their position in society. Furthermore, within the statements, the research identifies the formation of a collective sisterhood against patriarchal institutions and oppressive structures.Show less
