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The Puzzle of the Vote

Tavakolinia, Donja Zabina LU (2025) FKVK02 20251
Department of Political Science
Abstract
This thesis investigates the motivations behind women’s support for Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, despite his widely criticized stance on gender equality. Drawing on Feminist Security Studies (FSS) and Intersectionality, it explores how women articulate political allegiance in relation to insecurity, identity and protection. Using qualitative content analysis, the thesis analyzes twelve publicly available YouTube videos in which women explain their support for Trump, allowing insights in how values, threats and political meaning are constructed through discourse. The findings reveal four key themes, economic insecurity framed through maternal responsibility; cultural threat and the desire for moral order;... (More)
This thesis investigates the motivations behind women’s support for Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, despite his widely criticized stance on gender equality. Drawing on Feminist Security Studies (FSS) and Intersectionality, it explores how women articulate political allegiance in relation to insecurity, identity and protection. Using qualitative content analysis, the thesis analyzes twelve publicly available YouTube videos in which women explain their support for Trump, allowing insights in how values, threats and political meaning are constructed through discourse. The findings reveal four key themes, economic insecurity framed through maternal responsibility; cultural threat and the desire for moral order; identification with marginalization and outsider solidarity; and rationalization of Trump’s gendered rhetoric. Across these themes, political loyalty is not rooted in ignorance or contradiction, but in coherent interpretations of security shaped by intersecting experiences of class, race, religion and gender. The thesis contributes to feminist theory by applying FSS to phenomena often analyzed through liberal feminist lenses, and emphasizes the emotional, affective and value-driven dimensions of political behavior. It underscores the importance of approaching women’s support through a lens of lived insecurity and intersectional complexity. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Tavakolinia, Donja Zabina LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
A content analysis of online narratives by women supporters of Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. election
course
FKVK02 20251
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Feminist Security Studies, Intersectionality, Political Behavior, Women and Trump, (In)security
language
English
id
9191293
date added to LUP
2025-08-08 11:24:30
date last changed
2025-08-08 11:24:30
@misc{9191293,
  abstract     = {{This thesis investigates the motivations behind women’s support for Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, despite his widely criticized stance on gender equality. Drawing on Feminist Security Studies (FSS) and Intersectionality, it explores how women articulate political allegiance in relation to insecurity, identity and protection. Using qualitative content analysis, the thesis analyzes twelve publicly available YouTube videos in which women explain their support for Trump, allowing insights in how values, threats and political meaning are constructed through discourse. The findings reveal four key themes, economic insecurity framed through maternal responsibility; cultural threat and the desire for moral order; identification with marginalization and outsider solidarity; and rationalization of Trump’s gendered rhetoric. Across these themes, political loyalty is not rooted in ignorance or contradiction, but in coherent interpretations of security shaped by intersecting experiences of class, race, religion and gender. The thesis contributes to feminist theory by applying FSS to phenomena often analyzed through liberal feminist lenses, and emphasizes the emotional, affective and value-driven dimensions of political behavior. It underscores the importance of approaching women’s support through a lens of lived insecurity and intersectional complexity.}},
  author       = {{Tavakolinia, Donja Zabina}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Puzzle of the Vote}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}