Witty divas, nice mothers and tough girls in a sexist world

Experiences and strategies of female influencers in online political debates

Bibliographic Data

ID11267564
AuthorsLenka Vochocová (0000-0001-9873-4536, Charles University, Czech Republic, corresponding author)
Year2018
Volume40
Issue4
Pages535-550
Publication date2018-05-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedia Culture & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0163-4437 • E-ISSN: 1460-3675
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0163443717729211
OpenAlexW2753348198
LanguageEN
Citations received14
References cited41

The aim of this article is to explain the reasons behind the persisting gender gap in online political communication by examining the experience of women who are among the most visible and active participants in the online discussions on political issues. Data gathered through in-depth interviews reveal that women employ specific strategies to succeed in this environment and to deal with sexist ad hominem assaults – they either emphasize qualities traditionally considered feminine and act as ‘witty divas’ or ‘nice mothers’ or accommodate to the masculine character of the environment by adopting a ‘tough approach’. Some of them even experiment with masculine profiles. These strategies seem to reproduce the traditional patriarchal binary frame and show that even influential women strategically subordinate themselves to the rules of the male-dominated participatory sphere

Character (mathematics · Citizen journalism · Influencer marketing · Nice · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Computer Science · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Psychology · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology

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