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The Feminine Formula: A Critical Analysis of the Construction and Performance of Feminine Identity by TikTok Femininity Coaches
Jönköping University, School of Education and Communication, HLK, Media and Communication Studies.
2025 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

In recent years, femininity coaching has gained significant popularity on TikTok, promising to empower young women and girls by teaching them the secrets they need to reconnect with their feminine energy and become their best selves. While this seems empowering, the trend has also received criticism for promoting very narrow standards of femininity. This thesis therefore seeks to analyse how feminine identity has been constructed through the self-representation and content of femininity coaching influencers. Drawing on critical visual methodologies and feminist critical discourse analysis, the study analysed a total of 60 TikTok videos produced by six influencers, investigating the ways feminine identity was visually and discursively constructed. The study identified four recurring themes within femininity coaching content: soft power and the ideal woman; heteronormativity, the gender binary and gender essentialism; self-management and feminine presentation; and monetisation and commodification of femininity. The findings highlighted how femininity coaches promoted conformance to traditional gender norms, positioning it as an empowering choice, and reframed feminine identities as a marketable product. Overall, this study underscores the important role femininity coaches play in constructing femininity online.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 65
Keywords [en]
Femininity coaching, TikTok, postfeminism, gender performance, feminine identity, social media
National Category
Media and Communication Studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-68827OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hj-68827DiVA, id: diva2:1973637
Subject / course
HLK, Media and Communication Studies
Supervisors
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Available from: 2025-06-23 Created: 2025-06-19 Last updated: 2025-10-13Bibliographically approved

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