The intersectional construction of the category Women in Colombian journalistic discourse
Abstract
This study analyzes the representation of women in a Colombian journalistic corpus on Afro-descendant identity. Based on previous research on the representation of Blackness in the corpus, the study pursues three main objectives: to describe the linguistic features of discourses about women, to analyze the intersectional perspective present in the corpus and to critically assess its function in media discourse. To achieve this, the study employs a theoretical-methodological approach based on critical discourse analysis and corpus linguistics. The analysis of the semantic prosody of mujer and its transitivity structures reveals two main discursive patterns. The first portrays women as victims of multiple forms of violence as well as forced displacement. This discourse focuses on Afro-descendant and Indigenous women, who face intersectional oppressions related to gender, social status, and educational level. The second pattern, closely linked to the first, presents women in their role of resistance and struggle against these forms of violence. Women, especially young ones, are depicted as entrepreneurs, leaders, and human rights defenders. The study also examines the application of the concept of intersectionality in Colombian journalistic discourse, where mujer and negritud are central categories. Various intersections are identified, reflecting both the need for denunciation and a discursive tradition in academia and Black feminism. This research identifies the linguistic features that shape these discourses and highlights the importance of making both narratives of oppression and resistance visible. Additionally, it warns of the risk that these representations may become rigid categories, limiting the critical potential of intersectional discourses in the media.
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