This research aims to expose the discourse of government officials, the Catholic Church, feminists, and civil society around the feminist protests that have taken place in the context of high rates of violence in Mexico. Particularly, the aim is to understand if the discourse reinforces gender-based violence. The main methodology used was Critical Discourse Analysis to analyze the aforementioned positions, and specifically Fairclough's three-dimensional model. To this end, the situation in which the protests take place is first outlined in order to understand the context in which the discourses are produced. Through this analysis, it was found that the discourse strengthens gender-based violence, since it criminalizes the form of protest and delegitimizes the movement, putting the gender-based violence faced by women in the country in the background.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Methodology
3. About gender-based violence
3.1 Types of gender-based violence
3.2 International figures on gender-based violence
3.3 National figures on gender-based violence
3.4 National laws and mechanisms on gender-based violence
4. About the feminist protests
4.1 Substantial components
4.1.1 The right to protest
4.1.2 The fourth feminist wave
4.1.3 Feminist cyberactivism
4.2 Happenings of the feminist protest
4.2.1 Feminist protests in 2019
4.2.2 Feminist protests in 2020
4.2.3 Feminist protests in 2021
4.3 Double indignation
5. Critical Discourse Analysis
5.1 Fairclough's three-dimensional model of CDA
5.2 Analysis categories
5.3 Material Corpus
5.4 Key Results
5.4.1 Governmental Officials
5.4.2 Catholic Church
5.4.3 Feminists
5.4.4 Civil Society
6. Conclusion
7. Bibliography
8. Appendix. CDA material transcribed and translated
Research Objective and Key Themes
This master's thesis aims to investigate the public debate surrounding the feminist protests in Mexico from August 2019 to March 2021. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the study examines whether the prevailing public discourse inadvertently reinforces gender-based violence by criminalizing the protests and delegitimizing the feminist movement.
- Analysis of gender-based violence in the Mexican context.
- Evaluation of feminist protests as a response to systemic violence.
- Application of Fairclough’s three-dimensional model for discourse analysis.
- Investigation of positions held by government officials, the Catholic Church, civil society, and feminist protesters.
- Analysis of the intersection between political rhetoric and public opinion on gender-based violence.
Excerpt from the Book
3. About gender-based violence
Gender-based violence refers to any act that seeks to harm a person because of their gender. Gender-based violence stems from damaging norms, abuse of power, and gender inequalities. It is a severe violation of human rights, and at the same time, it is a life-threatening health and protection problem ("Gender-based Violence", n.d.). Both women and men experience gender-based violence. However, it has been widely acknowledged that men inflict most gender-based violence on women and girls. Therefore, gender-based violence and violence against women are terms that are often used interchangeably.
Nevertheless, using the gender-based aspect emphasizes that many forms of violence against women are rooted in power inequalities between women and men ("What is gender-based violence?", n.d.). Therefore, this paper uses the term gender-based violence as a synonym for violence against women, focusing on the high number of such crimes against women.
According to the first article of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, issued by the General Assembly in 1993, violence against women means any act of gender-based violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life (United Nations General Assembly, 1993, p.2). This form of violence has serious physical, economic, and psychological consequences on women; it affects them in the short and long term, preventing them from participating fully and equally in society. The magnitude of this impact, both on the lives of individuals and families and society as a whole, is vast (UN Women, n.d.).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the severe problem of gender-based violence in Mexico and positions the feminist protest movement as a response to this crisis.
2. Methodology: Details the ethnographic approach and the application of Critical Discourse Analysis to documents and media records.
3. About gender-based violence: Defines the core concepts of gender-based violence and provides statistical context from national and international sources.
4. About the feminist protests: Examines the emergence of the fourth feminist wave in Mexico and chronicles significant protest events from 2019 to 2021.
5. Critical Discourse Analysis: Applies Fairclough's model to analyze the discourse produced by four key social actors regarding the protests.
6. Conclusion: Synthesizes findings on how public discourse contributes to the delegitimization of feminist protests and the maintenance of institutional negligence.
Keywords
gender-based violence, feminicide, feminist protests in Mexico, critical discourse analysis, Fairclough’s three-dimensional model, institutional violence, fourth feminist wave, public debate, structural violence, impunity, human rights, victimhood, social movements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this master's thesis?
This research examines the public debate in Mexico surrounding feminist protests against gender-based violence, specifically analyzing whether this discourse legitimizes or reinforces such violence.
Which actors are included in the analysis?
The thesis analyzes the discourses of four key groups: government officials, the Catholic Church, feminist protesters, and the broader civil society.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to determine if the public discourse produced by these actors creates a narrative that criminalizes the feminist movement and delegitimizes its demands, thereby sidelining the urgency of gender-based violence.
Which methodological approach is utilized?
The study employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), specifically applying Norman Fairclough's three-dimensional model to evaluate language as a social practice.
What topics are explored in the main part of the thesis?
The thesis covers the definition of gender-based violence, the history and characteristics of the contemporary Mexican feminist movement, and detailed analyses of how different institutions and social actors represent these protests in public communication.
How is the analysis characterized?
The analysis is characterized by an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on linguistics, sociology, and political science to understand power dynamics within Mexican society.
How is the "double indignation" concept applied?
This concept, developed by Cerva Cerna, is used to describe the multifaceted frustration of protesters: first, over the violence against women; and second, over the media and governmental focus on the form of their protests rather than the substantive demands for justice.
What role does the media play in this study?
The media acts as both a source of data for the discourse analysis (through news broadcasts and online portals) and as an agent that participates in the construction of narratives around the protests, often contributing to their stigmatization.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Karla Torres (Autor:in), 2022, Critical Discourse Analysis on the public debate around gender violence and feminist protests in Mexico, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1484266
