Shaping the Political Self: Gendered Norms and Ideological Differences in Women Politicians' Instagram Content

Abstract

In era where political communication has turned into 24X7 vocation, Instagram has emerged as a crucial site for image curation, identity
formation and a space for setting political narratives. The study would examine how Instagram is established itself as a significant site for the
women politicians especially the women Member of Parliament to construct and communicate their agenda, negotiate their gendered experiences
and assertion of their ideologies. The study focuses on three women MPs representing distinct political spaces: one from the ruling Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP), one from the principal opposition Indian National Congress (INC), and one from a prominent regional party (Samajwadi
Party).Goffman’s Framing Theory would form the foundational basis of the study and would help to understand how imagery contributes to the
human cognitive abilities to receive, interpret and consume social realities. The qualitative study would study the photographs shared by the three
women politicians on their official Instagram account for six months (January-June, 2025). The study aims to examine and understand Instagram
beyond an aesthetic and performative space and analyse its role in curating digital identities of the women politicians.