KROPPSIDEAL, MEDIER OCH KVINNLIG REPRESENTATION. En kritisk diskursanalys av kvinnors representation i Smalast vinner

Abstract

Media plays a major role in both depicting and creating the world in which we live in through discourses. Women in media have often been marginalized and stereotyped in their depiction in media texts, which has consequently led to women feeling they need to live up the ideals set by the media. The purpose of this study is to investigate the way in which women and body ideals are depicted in the feminist documentary film Smalast vinner, by the Swedish public service-broadcaster SVT, to add to the work of previous studies as well as bring attention to the need of a wider variety of female representation. The theory used for this study is a critical discourse analysis, as defined by Norman Fairclough (1995), which centers language and discourse as vital factors when analysing media texts. In addition, Schippers’ (2007) article in which she develops the term hegemonic femininity will be used as a complement in order to get a better understanding of the structural factors in play. The method will also be the critical discourse analysis which will give structure and a theoretical base for the analysis. The study found that women in the documentary were placed in one or more of three roles: conscious critic, involuntary victim and reckless promoters of ideals. The ideals on the other hand were depicted as being omnipresent, impossible to avoid, exclusively female, as well as being illustrated as having no apparent roots. This study provides more insight to how women's media representation is shifting to be more diverse while still holding on to some traditional reiterations. The findings of this study add on to previous studies made on representation of women and body ideals in the media by exploring how the two coincide in a public service provided documentary. It also contributes with an insight into how gender structures are beginning to shift through the depiction of women in media, showing that women take on a combination of complex roles, rather than just the traditional ones that we are used to seeing represented.