Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Female Empowerment on Instagram: A Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis of Femvertisements Communicated by SMIs

Andersson, Elin LU and Wihlborg, Ebba LU (2021) SKOM12 20211
Department of Strategic Communication
Abstract (Swedish)
This thesis used Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis to study femvertisements communicated by Social Media Influencers on Instagram. A critical perspective was adopted to study the convergence of advertising and feminism in the context of social media. The aim of the study was to explore the prevalent discourses of female empowerment, the main component in femvertising, and how existing discourses are sustained and challenged in the femvertisements. By critically exploring how female empowerment is articulated, the purpose is to better understand the ideological forces that shape gender asymmetries in femvertising in a Swedish social media context. As theoretical framework, the study used previously identified discourses of empowerment as... (More)
This thesis used Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis to study femvertisements communicated by Social Media Influencers on Instagram. A critical perspective was adopted to study the convergence of advertising and feminism in the context of social media. The aim of the study was to explore the prevalent discourses of female empowerment, the main component in femvertising, and how existing discourses are sustained and challenged in the femvertisements. By critically exploring how female empowerment is articulated, the purpose is to better understand the ideological forces that shape gender asymmetries in femvertising in a Swedish social media context. As theoretical framework, the study used previously identified discourses of empowerment as well as post-feminist discourses, Critical theory, Foucault’s theory of Power and Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis. To study the phenomenon, 50 femvertising cases were selected and analysed with guidance from Fairclough’s three-dimensional model for Critical Discourse Analysis, including a descriptive, interpretative, and explanatory analysis of both written and visual elements in the femvertisements. In the findings, four discourses of female empowerment were identified in the analysed femvertisements communicated by the SMIs on Instagram: self empowerment, collective empowerment, shame and vulnerability, and bold beauty. While some of the findings reflect new discourses that may challenge the prevailing orders of discourse, this thesis casts doubt on whether it offers any greater contribution towards transformational change in regard to women’s liberation, as it avoids social critique of the patriarchal structures and power imbalances causing gender asymmetries in society. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Andersson, Elin LU and Wihlborg, Ebba LU
supervisor
organization
course
SKOM12 20211
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Femvertising, Social Media Influencer, Empowerment, Commodification, Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis, Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, Critical Theory
language
English
id
9064891
date added to LUP
2022-08-08 11:08:41
date last changed
2022-08-08 11:08:41
@misc{9064891,
  abstract     = {{This thesis used Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis to study femvertisements communicated by Social Media Influencers on Instagram. A critical perspective was adopted to study the convergence of advertising and feminism in the context of social media. The aim of the study was to explore the prevalent discourses of female empowerment, the main component in femvertising, and how existing discourses are sustained and challenged in the femvertisements. By critically exploring how female empowerment is articulated, the purpose is to better understand the ideological forces that shape gender asymmetries in femvertising in a Swedish social media context. As theoretical framework, the study used previously identified discourses of empowerment as well as post-feminist discourses, Critical theory, Foucault’s theory of Power and Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis. To study the phenomenon, 50 femvertising cases were selected and analysed with guidance from Fairclough’s three-dimensional model for Critical Discourse Analysis, including a descriptive, interpretative, and explanatory analysis of both written and visual elements in the femvertisements. In the findings, four discourses of female empowerment were identified in the analysed femvertisements communicated by the SMIs on Instagram: self empowerment, collective empowerment, shame and vulnerability, and bold beauty. While some of the findings reflect new discourses that may challenge the prevailing orders of discourse, this thesis casts doubt on whether it offers any greater contribution towards transformational change in regard to women’s liberation, as it avoids social critique of the patriarchal structures and power imbalances causing gender asymmetries in society.}},
  author       = {{Andersson, Elin and Wihlborg, Ebba}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Female Empowerment on Instagram: A Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis of Femvertisements Communicated by SMIs}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}