Exploring the new femininities’ (self-)perception of media culture influence amid feminist popularization in Spain1

Abstract

This exploratory study aims to analyse the perception that ‘new femininities’ have regarding the influence of popular media culture on identity, based on the experiences of a group of 30 women in Spain. By using the qualitative research technique of semi-structured individual interviewing and the feminist sociological analysis of the discourse, this article explores these new femininities’ (self-)perceptions across three key areas: media consumption habits, the portrayal of the new modern woman in the media and the social and personal impacts of media culture. The findings reveal significant divergences between interviewees who declare themselves feminists and those who disavow or distrust feminism in the extent they recognize the media’s capacity to impact their personal lives and influence their subjectivity and their feminine identity.