A Conflicted Image: Contemporary Western Feminism in Teen Vogue

Abstract

The way narratives about (Western) feminism are constructed changes with time and depends on the party which is doing the storytelling (Hemmings 2011, 13). Within feminist historiography these narratives are often built around the wave metaphor—even if its use remains contested (Evans and Chamberlain 2015, 396). In this thesis I look at how the contemporary image of Western feminism is constructed in the online magazine Teen Vogue. Contrary to traditional historiography which tends to look at past narratives, I will focus on a present one. Via a discourse analysis of ten articles I research how feminism in the magazine is characterised and where its image fits within a wider feminist historiography. By focussing on three different recurring themes (inclusivity and intersectionality, community and solidarity and individuality and self-empowerment) associated with feminism, I argue that the image of contemporary feminism in Teen Vogue is ultimately an ambiguous and at times even acontradictory one. This is a consequence of the fact that the current feminist landscape is both made up of political (third wave) feminisms and what Angela McRobbie calls “faux-feminism[s]” (2009, 1, italics in original) such as popular feminism and postfeminism. Since both of these share certain elements within their discourses (albeit with different intentions), it can cause difficulties and confusion for feminist critics, feminists, as well as other observers to distinguish between them. That is also why I advocate a critical reading of the magazine rather than simply accept its content at face value.