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Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science

ISSN Print: 2576-0556 Downloads: 1385883 Total View: 9370571
Frequency: monthly ISSN Online: 2576-0548 CODEN: JHASAY
Email: jhass@hillpublisher.com Citations: 301
ArticleOpen Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2025.07.029

A Critical Discourse Analysis of Female Images Constructed in Chinese Mass Media

Yuqing Lin

School of Foreign Studies, Guangxi Police College, Nanning 530029, Guangxi, China.

*Corresponding author: Yuqing Lin

Published: August 4,2025

Abstract

Grounded in systemic functional linguistics, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) integrates multidisciplinary frameworks to examine the dialectical relationship between discourse and societal structures. This study employs CDA as its methodological foundation to investigate the construction of female images in Chinese mass media through three analytical dimensions: classification, transformation, and modality. The analysis reveals that linguistic patterns within these reports perpetuate misconceptions about women’s societal roles and reinforce gender stereotypes, ultimately reflecting systemic gender asymmetry. These findings substantiate the theoretical proposition that language functions not merely as a communicative or cognitive instrument but also as a reflective mirror of deeply embedded power relations and ideological constructs within societal cognition. Consequently, this research underscores the imperative for linguistic scholars and learners to actively identify, critique, and challenge latent gender discrimination in discursive practices, thereby fostering critical awareness and promoting equitable linguistic representation. By exposing how language mediates social reality, this study contributes to broader efforts toward equitable discursive representation and challenges the normalization of gender-based linguistic discrimination.

Keywords

Critical Discourse Analysis; Mass Media; Female; Gender Stereotype

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How to cite this paper

A Critical Discourse Analysis of Female Images Constructed in Chinese Mass Media

How to cite this paper: Yuqing Lin. (2025) A Critical Discourse Analysis of Female Images Constructed in Chinese Mass Media. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science9(7), 1442-1447.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2025.07.029