GENDER REPRESENTATION AND FEMINIST DISCOURSE IN THE FILMS BARBIE (2023) AND WONDER WOMAN (2017): A STUART HALL REPRESENTATION ANALYSIS

Article Sidebar

PDF
Published: Jun 16, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15575/call.v7i1.44225

Main Article Content

Yoga Pratama
Darma Persada University
Roro Meifi Pitaloka
Master of English Education Program Indraprasta PGRI University, Jakarta

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Media is not just a mirror reflecting the society but it also acts as an agent in producing the meanings. This study’s primary objective is to analyze how gender representation and feminist discourse are constructed in Barbie and Wonder Woman using Stuart Hall’s representation theory. This study aims is to illuminate nuanced interplay between media, culture, and ideology. This study employs a qualitative research approach to analyze the representation of gender and feminist discourse in Barbie and Wonder Woman. The subjects of this study are the films Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, and Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins. Data were collected through a combination of textual analysis and document analysis. Data analysis followed a thematic coding approach, guided by Hall’s representation theory. The findings shows using Stuart Hall’s constructionist approach to representation, both films encode and decode gender representations, power dynamics, and feminist discourse. Using Stuart Hall's representation theory, the study reveals that both films challenge traditional gender norms by encoding and decoding gender roles, power dynamics, and feminist ideals. Both films contribute to reshaping gender portrayals in mainstream media, promoting empowerment, and advancing discussions on gender equality, illustrating the ongoing influence of feminist media representations.

 

Keywords: Gender; Representation; Feminist; Discourse; Film

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 7 No. 1 (2025): CALL
Section
Vol. 7, No. 1 (2025): CALL
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish in CALL agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).

References

REFERENCES

Banet-Weiser, S. (2018). Empowered: Popular feminism and popular misogyny.

Duke University Press.

Connell, R. W., & Messerschmidt, J. W. (2005). Hegemonic masculinity:

Rethinking the concept. Gender & Society, 19(6), 829-859. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243205278639

Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A black

feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory, and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139-167.

Czajka, S. (2023). Feminist reimaginings: Barbie’s journey toward self-

acceptance and identity. Feminist Media Studies, 19(2), 34-45.

Doane, M. A. (2017). Feminist representations in superhero cinema: Diana

Prince as a model of empowerment. Journal of Gender Studies, 21(3),

-123.

Gerwig, G. (Director). (2023). Barbie [Film]. Warner Bros.

Gill, R. (2016). Postfeminist media culture: Elements of a sensibility. European

Journal of Cultural Studies, 10(2), 147–166.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1367549407075898

Hall, S. (1980). Encoding/decoding. In Centre for Contemporary Cultural

Studies (Ed.), Culture, Media, Language (pp. 128–138). Routledge.

Hall, S. (1997). Representation: Cultural representations and signifying

practices. London: Sage.

Jenkins, P. (2017). [Director's commentary on Wonder Woman]. Warner Bros.

Jenkins, P. (Director). (2017). Wonder Woman [Film]. Warner Bros.

Mackie, R. (2023). Barbie's break from perfection: Gendered critique through

satirical utopia. Gender and Society, 34(1), 58-73.

Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual pleasure and narrative cinema. Screen, 16(3), 6-18.

https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/16.3.6

Negra, D., & Tasker, Y. (Eds.). (2014). Gendering the Recession: Media and

Culture in an Age of Austerity. Duke University Press.

https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1131fr9

Schmid, H., & Klimmt, C. (2011). A magically nice guy: Parasocial relationships

with Harry Potter across different cultures. International

Communication Gazette, 73(3), 252–269.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048510393658

Smith, L. (2017). Gender, power, and heroism in Wonder Woman: A feminist

reading of Diana’s journey. Journal of Popular Culture, 50(4), 80-92.