28, September 2025

Womanhoods: Images on Social Media

VOLUME-8; ISSUE-9; SEPT-2025

Author(s): JYOTSNA PATHAK

Authors Affiliations:

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, DELHI COLLEGE OF ARTS & COMMERCE, UNIVERSITY OF DELHI, NEW DELHI, INDIA

DOIs:10.2018/SS/202509008     |     Paper ID: SS202509008


Abstract
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Feminist theory has focused on ‘woman’ as a biological and a social construct. The 21st century has seen a radical change in gender relations and indeed the definition of the term ‘man’ and ‘woman’, so much so that ideas of femininity and masculinity are being re-assessed. These conversations are also influenced by specific cultural, religious, and national affiliations and identities. Our online existence, avatars and interactions are the artifacts recording our lived reality in the current age. It would not be hyperbole to suggest that future generations will turn to these to understand the present moment.   In this paper I will attempt to look at constructions of womanhood on social media as seen through various websites, you tube channels and influencers on diverse platforms. Some examples are reinterpretations of canonical heroines from literature, fan art, racial re-representations of female characters and the like. Trans-identities and the reaction to the same will also be discussed. Struggles for liberation and the impact that movements in one nation have in others will also be a focus area in the paper. One. example is the support that social media influencers who make content related to fashion, make up etc. have shown to the Iranian anti-hijab protests in Iran. Similarly, the impact of individuals like Andrew Tate who have been accused of peddling ‘toxic masculinity’ on young men and the consequences on gender relations will also be addressed.
feminity, social media, toxic masculinity, visual representation

Jyotsna Pathak(2025); Womanhoods: Images on Social Media, Shikshan Sanshodhan : Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences,      ISSN(o): 2581-6241,  Volume – 8,   Issue –  9.,  Pp.46-51.       Available on –   https://shikshansanshodhan.researchculturesociety.org/

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