Media Narratives and Their Impact on Choices among Grassroots Women: A Perspective on Narrative Empowerment and Identity Reconstruction
Abstract
This study examines the influence of media narratives on the lives of grassroots women, with a focus on aspects such as career development, marriage and fertility, consumption, and self-identity. Employing a qualitative approach centered on media text analysis and case studies, this research analyzes narrative strategies across both traditional and digital platforms. The findings reveal that media narratives significantly shape women's decision-making processes through mechanisms of normalization, symbolic exclusion, and emotional mobilization. At the same time, they also demonstrate how dominant representations can reinforce gender hierarchies and constrain individual agency. Furthermore, the study highlights the paradoxical role of new media as both a site of empowerment and a perpetuator of consumerist stereotypes, providing spaces for self-expression while simultaneously embedding women within market-oriented logic. The paper concludes with critical reflections on the structural constraints of current media practices and proposes pathways for more inclusive and authentic narrative constructions that could foster more diverse models of female agency and social participation.
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