28822
Advanced seminar
Feminist and antifeminist discourse on (social) media
Margreth Lünenborg
Comments
Media discourse on topics such as abortion, transgender rights, and sexual self-determination triggers strong and loud reactions that are not random but rather the result of strategically networked anti-feminist movements. This is especially true of public communication on social media. Traditional concepts of deliberation are obviously insufficient to understand the dynamics of hashtag movements such as #MeToo, #NiUnaMenos, #FrauenSagenNein, #prochoice, and #MarschfürsLeben. Instead, we will delve into affect studies and emotion theory (see our research in the CRC Affective Societies) to grasp the formation of discourses on gender issues in the media.
In this course, we will engage with the international literature on "fourth wave" digital feminism and its counterparts — a complex group of actors within the so-called "manosphere." We will analyze the interplay between online and offline protests. Using the concept of "affective publics" (Papacharissi, 2015; Lünenborg, 2020) as a framework, we will examine the emotional dynamics that influence the shifting and often controversial representation of gender issues in public discourse. The winter semester will focus on theoretical and conceptual work, and the following summer semester will focus on empirical analyses conducted by small teams of students. By the end of the winter semester, each student will outline a research proposal to be carried out during the summer of 2027. Research interests in international cases (also beyond Europe) are encouraged.
close
16 Class schedule
Regular appointments
Tue, 2026-10-13 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2026-10-20 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2026-10-27 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2026-11-03 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2026-11-10 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2026-11-17 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2026-11-24 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2026-12-01 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2026-12-08 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2026-12-15 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2027-01-05 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2027-01-12 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2027-01-19 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2027-01-26 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2027-02-02 14:00 - 16:00
Tue, 2027-02-09 14:00 - 16:00