Energias feminina e masculina no tiktok: binarismo de gênero no contexto neoliberal

Abstract

In the neoliberal context, in which subjects are constituted and directed by market-driven rationality, gender debates are intercepted and redirected toward economic ends. A notable example is the notion of female empowerment, which, when combined with the ideal of entrepreneurship, positions women as agents of the developmental agenda. In this regard, the popularization of content on social media, particularly on TikTok, is noteworthy, as it extols traditional gender roles, reinforcing the domestic sphere as the privileged and natural domain of women. Based on this, the study aims to analyze how the discourse of a TikTok content creator, in neoliberalism, promotes the normalization of binary gender roles through the idea of feminine and masculine energy. The study is justified by the central role of social media in the production and reproduction of power discourses with broad political implications, as well as the necessity of examining the mechanisms through which gender binarism is reaffirmed in neoliberal discourse.Through documentary research, this study selected a TikTok profile as a data source, employing Thematic Analysis as the methodological framework for its interpretation. Thus, five themes were constructed: Naturalization/Biologization of gender binarism; Gender binarism and the constitution of the heterosexual family; Femininity as a condition for the possibility of masculinity; Body control through practices of subjugation; and The woman, the feminine, and feminism. By critically questioning the discursive strategies adopted by the content creator, this study investigates the historical contingencies and power dynamics that sustain her discourse, thereby challenging the naturalization of the sex-gender system and the arbitrariness of the binary roles that structure it. Moreover, the findings indicate that neoliberalism instrumentalizes gender binarism to consolidate its political legitimacy, establishing an alliance with neoconservatism that prioritizes the traditional family model. In this sense, the influencer’s position aligns with neoliberal rationality both as an entrepreneur, monetizing her digital presence, and as an agent of the ideological consolidation of this alliance, exerting influence over her audience.