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Today, Dr. Cat Tebaldi explored the intersections of gender, power, and far-right ideologies, particularly focusing on how women are mobilized within these movements. Her presentation highlighted the ways in which traditional gender roles are weaponized by far-right groups to promote anti-feminist and white nationalist agendas.
Tebaldi analyzed how femininity is constructed in far-right discourse using “femininity manuals.” These manuals transform power differences into perceived natural differences between genders, reinforcing the idea that women are naturally submissive and men dominant. Tebaldi emphasized how these ideas naturalize submission, portraying it as part of women’s inherent desire and work, making it central to the far-right’s gendered social order.
Another significant aspect of Tebaldi’s presentation was how Christian romance narratives are utilized to frame traditional gender roles as ideal and desirable. These narratives often present submission as a path to harmonious relationships and, by extension, a harmonious social order. This framework encourages a return to “traditional” gender roles, aligning with far-right values that reject feminism and embrace gender essentialism.
Tebaldi also focused on the role of women, particularly “tradwives” (traditional wives), in far-right movements. These women use narratives of love, romance, and femininity to elevate white masculinity.
The presentation tied together semiotic analysis, critical discourse theory, and gender studies to explore how femininity and submission are weaponized by far-right movements. Tebaldi framed the traditional woman’s role as both seductive and political, arguing that these narratives not only normalize male domination but make it desirable by linking it to love and romance.
