Abstract
This thesis aims to deepen our understanding and broaden the scope of how female jihadist terrorists are reduced through gender stereotypes in print news media. Prior research has successfully analysed and criticised the media framing of women associated with terrorism, revealing much of the media representation to be unproven and heavily influenced by gender stereotypes. By expanding on this previous work, this study examines these representations on a larger scale, covering six Western countries - the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Ireland - and spanning the time period from 2001 to 2022. Furthermore, this study compares the portrayal of women to that of men. Specifically, this study answers the following research question: To what degree do gendered media narratives influence and limit the depiction of women in jihadist terrorism?The data at the core of this study is an original dataset of 999 individuals who have been featured in the media due to their connections to jihadist terrorism. The dataset includes over 50 variables, all designed to comprehensively examine the media's portrayals of these individuals. Through a theoretical lens rooted in gender and media studies, this thesis employs a unique mixed-methods design, which consists of descriptive and advanced quantitative analysis and qualitative media analysis, to effectively answer the research question.
The results indicate that characteristics such as youthfulness and relationship status, which are commonly associated with gender stereotypes, play a significant role in influencing the level of media coverage received by women. These findings highlight the pervasive impact of gendered narratives in the media portrayal of female terrorists, demonstrating that women receive more coverage when they fit into traditional gender stereotypes.
Conceptually, this research uncovers a novel classification of women connected with jihadist terrorism in the media, known as the Apex Female Terrorist. This figure symbolises the peak of media coverage on this subject. Owing to the gender-specific traits that surround them, these women continuously gather more attention than others do. Overall, this thesis sheds light on the sheer scale and details of the persistent gender narratives associated with terrorism that have reduced the agency of women for far too long.
In summary, this study makes a significant contribution to the literature not just on the framing of female terrorists, but on the study of women and terrorism generally. By combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, employing advanced statistical methods, and comparing media coverage across genders and countries over an extensive period, this research provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of gendered media narratives.
Date of Award | 5 Jul 2024 |
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Original language | English |
Awarding Institution |
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Supervisor | Tamsin Bradley (Supervisor), Tom Smith (Supervisor) & Lisa Sugiura (Supervisor) |