Constructing Gender Inequality in Online Public Spaces of Expression

Lucile RIBAUT

Master's thesis

Feminisms and their oppositions on French and British public online spaces of expression

Abstract:

The current and global omnipresence of social media has changed our communicative practices, which shape discourses that constitute and underlie society's power structures, such as those relating to gender. Current feminist and anti-feminist movements make extensive use of social media communicative affordance. Drawing on sociological notions, Feminist Studies and Digital Studies, and using Critical Discourse Studies as my methodological framework, I analyse discourse fragments at the micro-level of interactions between individuals on comment sections on Facebook. Online anti-feminism is the entry point of the critical aspect of my research. The analysis is contextualised with information at the macro-level, as this paper provides contextual background on gendered power relations and digitally mediated communication. This research aims to investigate how gender and gendered power relations are construed and, additionally, evaluate the democratic quality of comment sections as online public spaces of expression.

Abstract:

The current and global omnipresence of social media has changed our communicative practices, which shape discourses that constitute and underlie society's power structures, such as those relating to gender. Current feminist and anti-feminist movements make extensive use of social media communicative affordance. Drawing on sociological notions, Feminist Studies and Digital Studies, and using Critical Discourse Studies as my methodological framework, I analyse discourse fragments at the micro-level of interactions between individuals on comment sections on Facebook. Online anti-feminism is the entry point of the critical aspect of my research. The analysis is contextualised with information at the macro-level, as this paper provides contextual background on gendered power relations and digitally mediated communication. This research aims to investigate how gender and gendered power relations are construed and, additionally, evaluate the democratic quality of comment sections as online public spaces of expression.

Keywords

gender inequality, anti-feminism, social media, discourse, online spaces of public expression.

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 1. 6. 2021

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Mgr. et Mgr. Michaela Antonín Malaníková, Ph.D.

Palacký University Olomouc

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / field:
Humanities / Euroculture