THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN GENDER-BASED SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: A CASE STUDY OF #METOO
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53555/1vq3vt32Keywords:
#MeToo, digital activism, discourse analysis, media framing, gender and languageAbstract
This study examines how language shapes digital participation in the #MeToo movement by analyzing social media posts, survivor statements, and news media coverage. The research explores how linguistic strategies construct empowerment, identity, solidarity, and resistance within public discourse surrounding gender-based violence. A qualitative descriptive research design was used to analyze forty two publicly accessible texts published between 2018 and 2023. The dataset included twenty five social media posts, ten survivor statements from public blogs and interviews, and seven news articles from international media outlets. Data were collected manually through public search functions and open web access. Thematic and linguistic discourse analysis was conducted to identify patterns in pronoun use, emotional vocabulary, slogans, narrative structures, tone categories, and media framing techniques. The results show that social media posts frequently employed first-person and collective pronouns, emotional language, and solidarity phrases that strengthened collective identity and empowerment. Survivor statements demonstrated structured narrative patterns characterized by contextual detail, emotional expression, turning points, and calls for awareness. Supportive and backlash discourse coexisted, revealing tensions in public responses to survivor testimony. News articles used metaphors, evaluative terms, and cautious legal phrasing, indicating varied framing approaches that influenced public interpretation. Comparison across the three sources showed shared themes of voice, power, and change, although each medium performed distinct discursive functions. The study provides empirical insight into real-life linguistic patterns within #MeToo, emphasizing the central role of language in shaping digital feminist activism. It contributes to scholarship on gender, media, and discourse by illustrating how linguistic choices influence empowerment, resistance, and the framing of gender-based social movements.
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