Media Representations of Women in Politics: Part I

Language, Gender and Sexuality in the Media

In this course, Dr Christiana Themistocleous (University of Reading) explores representations of gender and sexuality in the media. In the first two modules, we discuss how female politicians are portrayed in news articles. In the third module, we explore media representations of female and male body image and look at how beauty standards depicted in magazines, such as Cosmopolitan, have evolved over the years. In the fourth module, we learn about how some media platforms have started challenging heteronormativity in recent years. In the fifth module, we explore gender roles in animated films.

Media Representations of Women in Politics: Part I

In this module, we explore how female politicians are portrayed in newspapers, focusing in particular on: (i) key moments in history for women in politics; (ii) Sanna Marin, Prime Minister of Finland (2019-2023); (iii) Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (2016-19); (iv) Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1979-90); (v) Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany (2005-21); (vi) Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand (2017-23); (vii) Hilary Clinton, American politician and diplomat; (viii) ‘Blair’s Babes’, a term used to reference the 101 female Members of Parliament from the Labour Party elected to the House of Commons in 1997; (ix) a1997 Daily Mail article describing Blair's Babes with a focus on outward appearance over political targets and knowledge; and (x) an article in The Guardian on Jacinda Ardern, PM of New Zealand, who brought her baby to a UN general assembly.