The first lady in online memes on selected examples

Abstract

Examining the discourse appearing in memes is important because it shows which topics are particularly absorbing public opinion. The basis for the considerations will be the results of the quantitative and qualitative analysis, which was carried out on over 200 memes published on the Demotywatory.pl portal. Empirical research was based on the analysis of the frequency of the frequency-thematic type, and the SPSS program was used as a research tool. The point of theoretical reference was the model of integrated explanation of the causes of gender inequality in politics, which allows us to look at the research material from a perspective that takes into account elements of equality policy. The analyzes carried out for the purposes of this article made it possible to verify the research hypothesis: Cultural reasons of gender inequalities in politics, especially stereotyping, are the main element visible in the image of the Polish first lady, created in the memes analyzed.

The article is divided into three parts. The introduction included the basic theoretical findings regarding the political activity of women and Internet memes. In addition, the methodology of the conducted research is presented in detail (research method, hypothesis and research questions). The main part is the presentation of the results of quantitative and qualitative research on selected internet memes. The aim of the research was to check what image of the first lady was created in the memes studied. Differences and similarities in the imaging of the first lady of Poland and other countries of the world have been shown. Seeking answers to a number of questions: what do the memes' creators pay most attention to when it comes to the image of the president's wife, or in the memes we can see the presence of gender stereotypes, in which periods the interest in the first lady is the greatest and has something changed over the years? The third fragment is the ending, in which the research results are summarized and the research hypothesis confirmed. The image of the first lady seen in the analyzed memes is an example of the stereotypical depiction of a woman present in the sphere of politics, which is part of the cultural causes of under-representation of women in politics, which were indicated in an integrated model of explaining the causes of gender inequality in politics.