Debray, Carolin, Schnurr, Stephanie, Loew, Joelle and Reissner-Roubicek, Sophie (2023) An ‘attractive alternative way of wielding power’? Revealing hidden gender ideologies in the portrayal of women Heads of State during the COVID-19 pandemic. Critical Discourse Studies . doi:10.1080/17405904.2022.2101499 ISSN 1740-5904. (In Press)

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Abstract

This paper explores the gendered discourses of the – seemingly favourable – media coverage that certain Heads of State received for their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking at media reports published in different English-speaking outlets in the US, the UK, India, Bangladesh, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland, and using multimodal feminist critical discourse analysis, we identify and describe some of the strategies that on the surface appear to challenge hegemonic – and largely masculine – discourses of leadership. Upon closer scrutiny, these superficially complimentary reports rather reinforce and naturalise discriminatory gender ideologies, and, as we demonstrate, they do so to different degrees along a continuum of essentialising, contextualising, and problematising. We critically discuss the discursive and visual processes involved and show that complimenting these leaders on their performance compares them against a masculine norm to construct their leadership as ‘alternative’, exceptional, and hence marked. This gendered portrayal of political leadership in times of crisis illustrates how the discursive construction of identities, responsibilities, and relationships during Covid-19 largely hinges on power relations and political ideologies that systematically disadvantage and undermine women. The purportedly positive form in which this occurs makes it particularly difficult to challenge and subvert these discriminatory discourses and their underlying gendered ideologies.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > HM Sociology H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman J Political Science > JC Political theory J Political Science > JF Political institutions (General) P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Centre for Applied Linguistics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Language and languages -- Sex differences, Critical discourse analysis, Sex differences (Psychology), Political leadership, Women -- Political activity, Mass media -- Political aspects, Women -- Political activity -- Press coverage, Feminist theory
Journal or Publication Title:	Critical Discourse Studies
Publisher:	Routledge
ISSN:	1740-5904
Official Date:	2023
Dates:	Date Event 2023 Published 23 January 2023 Available 12 July 2022 Accepted
DOI:	10.1080/17405904.2022.2101499
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	In Press
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access (Creative Commons)
Copyright Holders:	Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
Date of first compliant deposit:	12 July 2022
Date of first compliant Open Access:	28 July 2023
Related URLs:	Publisher

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