Representation of Femininity: Grammatical Aspect (Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Glamour Magazines)

Anna V Beloedova,Nadezhda N Khukhryanskaya,Ekaterina A Novinkina,Yuliya N Shatalova,Marina Yu Pitinova

doi:10.7596/taksad.v6i5.1280

Abstract

<p>The paper features the language objectivation of femininity in the glossy magazines Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Glamour. The analysis of the problem is based on the theory of the social construction of gender and aims to identify the main trends of language representation of women. The material of the study was Russian Publications Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Glamor - the most popular glossy magazines designed for women. The files of the examples analyzed by us are compiled by the method of continuous sampling (more than 2000 contexts) on the basis of printed and Internet versions of Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Glamor journals in 2016. The verbal component is considered as one of the main factors in the construction of gender in glossy magazines, which model new type of the "femine" consciousness, combining the sensual experience of reality and the ability to transform it. Gender relations, stereotypes and ideology are revealed through the analysis of linguistic representations. The authors observe morphological and syntax means of the Russian language as indicators of gender identification in terms of mediatext construction. The analysis of language means proves the complication of gender identification in Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Glamour, and the sharpening of the "femine" consciousness due to inclusion of masculine features in it. The analysis of linguistic means representing femininity allows to draw a conclusion about the modeling a new type of "female consciousness" on the pages of glossy magazines, in which the ability to the sensual experience of reality is supplemented by the ability to transform it. </p>

Highlights

When they start to consider gender issues in the context of mass media functioning, one should turn to the theory of gender social development
The mass media content demonstrates the whole set of gender issue main aspects: the gender ideology, gender stereotypes, gender roles, gender identity, gender stratification
Gender as a cultural and symbolic sex is not a linguistic category, its content can be uncovered through the analysis of linguistic representations, which explains the relevance of linguistic research today aimed at the revealing of the features in this aspect of collective consciousness

Summary

Introduction

When they start to consider gender issues in the context of mass media functioning, one should turn to the theory of gender social development. Within the framework of this theory, gender is presented as an organized model of social relations between sexes, defining their interpersonal and family relationships, as well as the interaction in the main institutions of society. The mass media content demonstrates the whole set of gender issue main aspects: the gender ideology (the view about the qualities preferred for men and women existing in society, the difference and similarity between them), gender stereotypes (the patterns on the differences between a man and a woman, prescribing to behave in accordance with the rules developed for genders), gender roles (gender permeates all situational roles), gender identity (the identification with a certain gender, the mastery of rules and norms typical for him, their demonstration in his behavior), gender stratification (two sexes occupy an unequal position in society, as a rule, men have the advantage). The angle and the sign of these aspects consideration are the product of the policy pursued in various cultures and societies towards men and women

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