CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2011
| Author | Pierce, Genevieve Marie |
|---|---|
| Title | The Media's Gender Stereotype Framing of Chechen 'Black Widows' and Female Afghan Self-Immolators |
| Summary | Traditional gender roles derive from the beginning of mankind when men were hunters and women were gatherers. These roles remain widely accepted in the Western world today. This article stems from the terrorism scholar Brigitte Nacos’ argument that society resorts to gender stereotypes when trying to understand women acting in inherently masculine roles. The expansion of Nacos’ argument has led to the question of how Western media uses gender stereotype framing in the reporting of two illegitimate female actors. Empirically, Chechen Black Widows and female Afghan self-immolators are the case studies represented in the article. The argument set forth here claims that these women are voiceless actors who commit extremely violent acts to gain political agency. However, the media is misrepresenting these actors by resorting to gender stereotypes in order to report comprehendible news on an incomprehensible topic—female violence. The empirical evidence is based on content analysis of media from North America and the United Kingdom. Five gender stereotype frames have been identified to support the claims made here. These frames are: Feminized Imagery, Violence Breeds Violence, Islamic Honor, Manipulation and Male Control, and Irrational Women. |
| Supervisor | Roe, Paul |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2011/pierce_genevieve.pdf |
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