Gender Discourse Research Articles

Framing discomfort on YouTube: Narratives of non-binary dysphoria

In Western thinking, the binary gender system has long held a central position, often side-lining identities that exist beyond this binary framework. This facet of gender discourse frequently leads to the omission of non-binary individuals from discourses not only of gender, but more broadly of societal concern. As a result, it is not unusual for these individuals to experience discomfort, both in respect of their gender identity and in relation to societal expectations, often leading to gender dysphoria. It is no chance, in light of the above, that clinical definitions and comprehension of gender dysphoria predominantly center on a binary understanding of gender, even though the experience of gender dysphoria extends beyond this binary framework. Over the past decade, social-media platforms have emerged as dynamic arenas where non-binary individuals can openly express their gender identities. In this context, social-media holds considerable influence as a potent tool (Angouri, 2021) for the construction and portrayal of non-binary identities online. Within this discourse, the articulation of discomfort with one’s own physical appearance seems to be a recurring theme. This study explores the articulation of emotional discomfort among non-binary YouTubers, in relation to their gender experience. It employs a methodology relying on Corpus Assisted Discourse Studies (Gillings et al., 2023), using the Sketch Engine software (Kilgarrif et al., 2014), to identify distinctive lexical patterns that characterize the expression of discomfort and dysphoria. The dataset includes YouTube videos from five channels owned by non-binary YouTubers, which could be considered, by virtue of their content and stated purpose, as explicit non-binary communicative gender performances. The paper primarily investigates how discourse surrounding suffering and discomfort contributes to the portrayal of non-binary identities in online spaces, and seeks to observe whether the expression of this discomfort can be construed as a means of seeking validation for these identities within the social-media domain.

Womanhood and Democratic Household in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women

This paper deals with the issues of womanhood and democratic household in Little Women, a novel by Louisa May Alcott. The theoretical framework for the research is Barbara Welter’s classic essay on the concept of “true” womanhood in Victorian America. By analyzing the four cardinal traits of proper womanhood as reflected in the novel, the conclusion emerges that Meg, Beth, Jo, and Amy’s growing into womanhood simultaneously confirms the limitation of women’s potential in Victorian America and testifies to the struggle for actualization. The development of the four girls is under the indisputable influence of both the gender discourses that prevail in society and the progressive views of their mother. However, since each girl interprets these visions differently and adapts them to their various personalities, their paths to womanhood are unique. Finally, the paper aims to demonstrate that the March sisters attempt to strike a balance between actualization and adaption to the needs of the family, two equally important, but opposing aspirations. In conclusion, the actualization of the March girls, initially jeopardized by the limitations of patriarchal culture, is further complicated by their desire to remain true to their family’s (mother’s) teaching, which is especially emphasized during Amy and Jo’s attempts to realize their artistic ambitions.

Canadian national sport organisations’ eating disorder-related policies and practice guidelines: a summative content analysis

ABSTRACT Athletes are at significant risk of developing eating disorders (EDs). To address EDs in sport, policies can support the prevention, management, and return to sport following EDs. Although Canadian National Sport Organisations (NSOs) must comply with a universal code of conduct to address maltreatment in sport, there may be a need for additional policies and guidelines to address EDs. The purpose of this study was to examine the scope and content of ED-related policies and practice guidelines within Canadian NSOs. We searched all publicly available policy and guideline documents from Canada’s 64 NSOs and screened them for keywords related to disordered eating, body image, nutrition, diet, and exercise, yielding 98 policies and 39 guidelines. We conducted a summative content analysis to examine the contextual use of our keywords and the sociocultural implications of such use. No NSO had specific policy or practice guidelines addressing EDs. Policies described body shaming-related maltreatment using standard language from the universal code of conduct. Within guidelines, ED-related topics were discussed in relation to mental health, athlete development, nutrition, coaching female athletes, positive body image, and weight management. Comparing content within policies and guidelines revealed a lack of coherence, wherein policies outlined ‘what not to do’ but guidelines did not provide adequate guidance on ‘what to do’, drawing instead on weight-normative and gendered discourse to address ED topics. This study provides insight into the current state of systemic (in)action surrounding EDs in Canadian sport and serves as a preliminary step towards the development of ED policy.

The «Cultural Turn» in American Historiography of Environmental History from the 1980s to the Early 2000s: Causes and Consequences

The period since the 1970s has seen a «cultural turn» that affected many areas of historical research. Environmental history is no exception. It emerged in the United States five decades ago and was strongly influenced by intellectual history. However, in the 1990s, the focus of environmental historians gradually shifted towards «new cultural history». Although foreign historiography has repeatedly acknowledged this shift, the underlying reasons that prompted historians to pursue the new research path remain overlooked. This article seeks to bridge the «gap» in the historiography of human interactions with the natural world over time, an important branch of history. The results of a thorough analysis of the major works written by American historians between the 1970s and 2010s show that the «cultural turn» in the American historiography of environmental history was gradual and included two distinct stages. During the first stage, from the 1980s to the mid-1990s, historians explored the problems of environmental history from the perspectives of postcolonial and gender discourses. The second stage, from the mid-1990s to the present day, was marked by a rethinking of the concept of «wilderness», as well as an emphasis on a variety of previously unaddressed problems of environmental history.

‘What do you love about sport?’ Exploring boys’ and girls’ embodied experiences of sport

ABSTRACT There is a wealth of research documenting boys’ and girls’ gendered identities in and through sport, much of which provides a critical account of masculinist discourses, particularly related to team sports. Furthermore, while there are many accounts of children’s enjoyment of sport, definitions of fun and enjoyment are wide-ranging, and little has been written on children’s positive orientations towards sport from a corporeal perspective. Using the starting question, ‘what do you love about sport and how does it make you feel?’, this research explores how boys and girls speak about their embodied experiences in and through sport. Twenty-one focus groups took place with boys and girls (n = 147) from seven primary schools in the Republic of Ireland. Before analysis, the data were separated into girls’ and boys’ responses. Reflexive thematic analysis resulted in the construction of patterns around girls’ and boys’ embodied experiences of sport. Boys described their experiences predominantly in terms of physical encounters such as collisions and skill improvement. Girls displayed a wider array of feelings and sensations towards sport, describing experiences as calming, prioritising social interactions, while physical experiences were also important. While many of the results conform with normative gendered discourses, there are some examples of both girls and boys subverting these subjectivities, with girls in middle childhood accessing a wider range of physical identities than previously imagined. Given the importance attached to children’s embodied accounts of their sporting experiences, implications for children’s continued enjoyment and participation in sport are considered, particularly related to the provision of meaningful experiences for girls in sport.

The normativity of gender discourse: A pragmatic approach

Abstract Many disputes about gender are normatively charged. To account for this, some suggest building normativity into the semantics of gender terms. I propose an alternative, pragmatic account. When speakers utter gender-attributing sentences of the form ‘Person A is of gender G’, they often pragmatically convey normative content about whether A should be categorized as G. After critically discussing the semantic approach, I motivate and discuss in detail this novel pragmatic view and elaborate on its compatibility with a number of semantic options.

EXPLORING JAVANESE FEMALE SUFISM IN SERAT MURTASIYAH: A STUDY OF WOMEN'S REPRESENTATION OF RELIGIOUS VALUES IN THE DOMESTIC REALM WITHIN MODERN WESTERN CONTEXTS

Gender discourse is challenged in the study of Sufism because Sufism is not inherently bound by gender identity. However, most Javanese literary works tend to place men as Sufis. Murtasiyah, the main female character in Serat Murtasiyah, is a picture of a Javanese Sufi woman with an extraordinary religious personality as a wife. This article discusses how Murtasiyah practiced Sufism and applied religious values in the domestic sphere of the family. The form of obedience of Javanese wives through the character of Murtasiyah is also compared from Javanese and Islamic perspectives. Through textual and contextual approaches, preceded by a philological method, Serat Murtasiyah was dissected using a hermeneutic and content analysis with a feminist approach. The findings show that Murtasiyah can understand the knowledge of meaning (ngelmu rasa) through the Sufism levels of tahalli (pure heart), takhalli (soul-filling), and tajalli (inner light). The religious teachings of a Sufi, such as always being grateful, patient, obedient to worship, pleased, remembering, and willing to repent, are also reflected in Murtasiyah’s personality. With these religious values, Murtasiyah can pass through the storms of life to become a Sufi. In addition, the form of obedience of women as wives in the Javanese perspective tends to be more diverse than the interpretation of the obligations of a wife according to Islamic teachings. From this study, modern women can also learn and apply the concept of Sufism Murtasiyah in carrying out their daily dual roles to create a balance in achieving worldly and afterlife affairs.

Between Sharia, Gender, and Science in the Construction of ‘Iddah: The Response of Banyumas’ Ulamas

The development of science necessitates changes in various issues of human life, including matters of family law. One of the family law issues that often sparks debate is the issue of 'iddah. One of the reasons (reason) often found in the discussions of scholars is to ensure the cleanliness of the uterus from the fetus. If this argument is used as the main basis, it is refuted by the development of medical technology, which can ensure the cleanliness of the uterus in a relatively short time. Likewise, from a gender perspective, because the owner of the womb is only a woman, it cannot be exchanged. This study aims to analyze the extent to which Banyumas’ Ulama views respond to the development of science and gender discourse in the context of family law. This research is empirical legal research, analyzing the responses of Banyumas scholars. Researchers collected data from scholars who came from different religious organization backgrounds, namely Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah, and al-Irsyad. These three are the organizations with the most followers in Banyumas. Banyumas became the locus of this research because there is a view that egalitarian principles are living values in society, as described in the chronicle historical texts (babad). The study concluded that the responses of the Banyumas Ulama were divided into two groups, namely textualists and semi-textualists. However, the semi-textualist group is more dominant among them. This research at the same time proves that the relationship between religion and science has not yet reached an integrative or even transdisciplinary level but is still at a dialogic level, and there is even a dualistic view.

Analysis of Gender Discourse Bias and Gender Discrimination in Social Media: A Case Study of the TikTok Platform

In the contemporary landscape of new media, social media platforms, particularly exemplified by TikTok, offer female users accessible and cost-effective means for self-expression and communication. However, this study reveals that such platforms, despite their apparent openness and liberality, have not effectively challenged or changed the persistent and deep-rooted issue of gender discrimination that women face. This research adopts a qualitative content analysis and specifically focuses on the TikTok platform, where female users frequently encounter various forms of gender discourse bias and discrimination. The findings suggest that female users on TikTok often face stigmatization through the internet lexicon and the commodification of physical appearance, reflecting broader societal issues of gender inequality and objectification. Simultaneously, a segment of the female user base on TikTok is actively engaging in challenging and negotiating these entrenched stereotypes, striving to redefine their representation in the digital space. Furthermore, the research highlights how the anonymity of the internet, the media’s role in encoding and perpetuating gender stereotypes, and the consumerist traps set by capitalist market dynamics, collectively contribute to an illusory facade of gender equality. This facade obscures the underlying realities of discourse bias and gender discrimination that persist in the digital realm.

Geschlecht und Autorschaft Stefan Zweigs “Künstlernovelle” Brief einer Unbekannten

Abstract: Brief einer Unbekannten , one of Stefan Zweig’s best-known novellas, is the story of a famous writer who receives a letter from an “unknown” woman who tells him of her unrequited love for him. The reason for the letter is the death of their child. The novella is often cited as an example of Zweig’s psychologically sensitive portrayal of his characters. The aim of this article is to read the novella as a reflection on Zweig’s artistry and authorship, with the category of gender playing a decisive role: The unknown woman herself appears as a writing woman next to the male writer. In light of contemporary gender discourses that shape the constellation of characters and genders in the novella, Brief einer Unbekannten can be read as an expression of Stefan Zweig’s examination of his own authorship. The question of female and male writing thus becomes a question of distinction. This concerns, in no small part, Stefan Zweig’s personal life and that of his wife Friderike, who not only promoted her husband’s career but was also herself a writer.

Sentiment and specters: The posthumous influence of animals and women in Marie Espérance von Schwartz's Gemma, oder Tugend und Laster (1877) and the late nineteenth‐century anti‐vivisection debate

AbstractAnimals enjoyed an active afterlife in late‐nineteenth‐century pro‐animal texts in Germany. Drawing on a number of primary texts and recent scholarship on the anti‐vivisection movement, this article argues that remembering, mourning, and haunting by animals is part of a gendered discourse on animal rights that is associated in particular with sentiment and with maternity. This is illustrated with reference to Marie Espérance von Schwartz's Gemma, oder Tugend und Laster (1877), a sentimental anti‐vivisection novella in which deceased animals and women return to punish their abusers or shore up the resistant stance of the living. Viewing Schwartz's fictional novella in the context of non‐fictional pro‐animal works, including Ernst Grysanowski's Die Vivisection, ihr wissenschaftlicher Werth und ihre ethische Berechtigung (1877) and Ignaz Bregenzer's Thier‐Ethik: Darstellung der sittlichen und rechtlichen Beziehungen zwischen Mensch und Thier (1894), allows me, by means of contrast, to highlight its gendered dimension.

Penciptaan Perempuan (Kajian Q.S.An-Nisa[4]:1)

The origin of women's creation cannot be separated from differences in interpretation and discussion in gender discourse. Based on Q.S.An-Nisa[4]: 1, this article aims to look back at the meaning of the verse from an ontological and axiological perspective. The method used in article writing is descriptive analytical. The theoretical framework is Hassan Hanafi's hermeneutic theory which consists of three criticisms, namely historical, eidetic and praxis. The result of the study is that Q.S. An-Nisa[4]:1 can be understood as the equality of the creation of man as a being who has a nafsio-physical unity. The ontologic implication is that women are self-made beings like men. Axiologically, women are no different from men in their roles because the relationship between men and women is equal and complementary.

National specificity of Kyrgyz and English gender political discourse

Relevance. Since the modern world is constantly transforming in terms of linguistic means, i.e. communication is undergoing several changes, there is a high need to study the national peculiarities of political gender discourses. Purpose. The study aims to provide a national interpretation of political discourse regarding gender aspects manifested in the context of linguistic and communicative parameters in the speech activities of male and female politicians. Methodology. The study analyzed political speeches by Kyrgyz and British politicians, examining linguistic parameters such as hesitation, categoricity, irony, and tone, to compare gender-specific communication strategies in both countries' political discourses. Results. This study presents the national specificity of Kyrgyz and British political gender discourse. The analysis identified the main differences between the speech activities of men and women politicians. In the Kyrgyz political discourse, men are characterised by hesitations, categorical and directness, irony, raising the tone of voice, active metaphorisation and hidden meanings. British political discourse in terms of male communication is characterised by a high degree of categoricity, almost no pauses, active use of irony, metaphorical and implicit means, and a moderate degree of emotionality. Conclusions. The Kyrgyz discourse reflects "soft power" approaches, while the British discourse shows women more actively defending their positions. Both discourses employ metaphorical language. These findings highlight the interplay between gender, national culture, and political communication styles. Keywords: speech; linguistic resources; implicitness; categoricity; emotionality

Female celebrities in digital age: the changing notions of stardom in Malayalam cinema

ABSTRACT Stardom in the present day has evolved into a comprehensive apparatus with its intersection with emerging digital media paving way to myriad star varieties. This paper tries to analyse the diverse ways in which female stardom manifests in the Malayalam film industry with the emergence of new digital domains and virtual sensibilities. This article traces the evolution of female stardom in India and explores the new possibilities of Malayalam female stardom in the current technoscape. To exemplify this, the paper takes into account two female star personas from the Malayalam film industry, Parvathy Thiruvoth and Aparna Balamurali, to unravel the changed landscape of stardom today which is made possible through interventions of digital media where the female stars exhibit a deviation from the traditional associations of glamour/body to that of political and gendered articulations. It is substantiated by analysing digital media articles and social media issues circulating in Kerala’s digital landscape to establish how the present complexities in the new kinds of stardom requires a restructuring of ideas of gender discourses in new media spaces.

Gender Discourses in Civil Engineering TVET College programs: Marginalized Female Voices in the Learning of Engineering Concepts

Collectively, the Engineering sector is still the most male-dominated field and most TVET College graduates are males. Why is this even a case when the fourth industrial revolution pushes all livelihood boundaries and ensures that males and females are exposed to similar opportunities in the sector? Of course, there can never be a comprehensive response to this patriarchal question. Hence, this study delved into this societal issue through classroom discourse in a Civil Engineering and Building Construction course at a TVET college in Limpopo Province. This study was premised on the fact that lecturers in the college use “male” examples more than those of women which affects how women perceived the Civil Engineering field. Moreover, this study laid bare the preferences of female students and how they want to be involved in discourses without making reference to gender roles. This study used a qualitative research approach for a case of eleven (11) female students. Data was collected through focused group interviews. The study employed the Social Identity Theory as its framework. The study found that indeed unconscious biases are happening during classroom discourses and that the lecturers seem to be unaware of this. As a recommendation, reskilling, and upskilling of TVET college lecturers is needed as a matter of urgency with a focus on their scholarship of teaching and learning. Universities as close partners to TVET colleges can facilitate these professional development programs. This study contributes to the global discourse on female inclusion in the engineering sector and the pedagogical practices of an engineering educator in a TVET college. Keywords: Classroom discourse, Civil Engineering, Female students, TVET colleges

Gender in the Journal of Management Education: A Discussion of Content, Change, and Whether Any of these Contributions Matter

This article presents an integrative review of research on gender in the Journal of Management Education (JME) between 1975 and 2023. After representing an overview of chronological themes in the journal, the article reports on three types of change in the material published during this period: the shift from gender as a binary to a fluid gender discourse, the introduction of the concept of intersectionality, and the internationalization of research. As a critical review, the article questions whether sufficient evidence exists to show that the women in management courses and gender-related experiential exercises reported in JME actually produced managers who were more effective at promoting gender equity than managers who had not participated in such interventions.

Entrepreneurship under patriarchy: the intersecting forces characterising everyday life for Nigeria’s women entrepreneurs

PurposeNigeria presents something of an entrepreneurial paradox. Women in entrepreneurship dominate the economy, yet patriarchal structures dominate society. This article investigates how patriarchal factors impact entrepreneurial processes, in turn, creating unequal expectations of entrepreneurial opportunity.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts an intersectionality lens to explore how patriarchy is manifest for entrepreneurs. The reflective narratives of 30 entrepreneurs are analysed, provided through semi-structured interviews. An inductive qualitative approach accesses the gendered discourse of entrepreneurship as constructed by entrepreneurs. Within this discourse, the factors of patriarchy are exposed.FindingsFindings reveal a multi-faceted patriarchy, with the informing factors of entrepreneurial gender roles, class and religion. The study explains how the interaction of these factors reinforce patriarchal ideals and create a variety of gendered images of what is acceptable entrepreneurial activity in Nigeria, and for whom.Originality/valueThis study contributes to growing insight on entrepreneurship in Africa and challenges linear arguments of entrepreneurship-as-emancipation for women. In complex and multidimensional contexts, entrepreneurs must navigate the intersection of factors sensitively, ensuring acceptance and fulfilment of societal expectations. The power of intersectionality as a theory of contextualisation is discussed.

Living liminally: how Korean women cope with the rise of anti-Asian violence in the United States as racialized, gendered, and liminal beings

Abstract This study delves into the unique identity navigation of Korean women in the US who do not align themselves with the broader Asian American label as they make sense of and respond to targeted violence against Asian women. In-depth interviews reveal the interplay of racialization and gendering that these women contend with, as well as the nuanced strategies they adopt to align or disalign themselves from ascribed identities in the wake of such violence. Findings highlight the inadequacies of U.S.-centric racial paradigms in capturing the intricacies of these liminal identities; by illuminating alternative ways of being within liminal spaces, this study offers insights into their transformative journeys and broader implications for race and gender discourse in America.

Women's Identity Construction and Identity from the Perspective of Gender Theory: Examination of Gender Discourse based on the Film Barbie

The Barbie film directed by Greta Govig became a new milestone in feminist cinema when it set a box office record in 2023. The film not only presents the portrayal of women in a patriarchal society, but also critiques gender stereotypes with humour, triggering a global feminist discussion. This paper focuses on the construction of women's identity and the representation of women's identity in the film Barbie from the perspective of gender theory and in four parts. The first part is the introductory section, mainly covering the research background and significance of this paper; The second part explores the female identity construction of Barbie from the aspects of appearance and social image; The third part explores the female identity of Barbie from the perspectives of male and female; The fourth part mainly combines and summarizes the previous content, and at the same time, combines social scholars' and film critics' interpretations of the film to deepen readers' understanding of the modern portrayal of women on screen.

A Scale Development Study to Determine Preschool Teachers' Perception of Gender Roles in the Classroom

The aim of this study is to develop an in-class gender role perception scale for preschool teachers. The study group of the research consists of 493 pre-school teachers working in independent kindergartens, kindergartens within primary schools and kindergartens within secondary schools in Nevşehir, Kırşehir, Niğde and Aksaray provinces of Turkey. The content validity of the scale was ensured by expert opinions. Construct validity was ensured by both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. KMO and Bartlett tests were used to determine the suitability of the created items for factor analysis, and these tests were found to be significant at the p <.05 level. With the factor analysis performed to reveal the factor structure of the scale items, a structure consisting of 4 sub-dimensions and 42 items was determined: "general gender discourses in fairy tales and stories, gender role characteristics, gender-specific behavioral reactions and gender". In the reliability analysis of the scale items, Spearman-Brown and Guttman Split-Half reliability coefficients were calculated and these coefficients were found to be suitable for all sub-dimensions. Cronbach's Alpha (α) values were calculated and the resulting coefficient value was found suitable for reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed and the fit indices confirmed the structure created by the factor analysis.