Research Article

Usage Patterns of the Concept of “Women’s Rights” in the German Press: A Corpus-Based Analysis of the Berliner Zeitung

Volume: 8 Number: 1 June 29, 2026
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Usage Patterns of the Concept of “Women’s Rights” in the German Press: A Corpus-Based Analysis of the Berliner Zeitung

Abstract

This study examines how the concept of “Frauenrechte” (women’s rights) is used and discursively constructed in contemporary German news discourse. The analysis is based on a corpus of 62 occurrences retrieved from the Berliner Zeitung via the German Reference Corpus (DeReKo) for the period 2024–2025. Adopting a corpus-based discourse-analytic approach, the study investigates both the contextual distribution and the discursive framing of the term. The findings show that references to Frauenrechte are distributed across multiple discursive domains, with a clear predominance of international political contexts. Compared to domestic political debates, women’s rights are more frequently articulated in relation to developments outside Germany. In addition, the concept appears in cultural and social debates, indicating its broader integration into societal discourse. In terms of framing, women’s rights are primarily constructed as a normatively positive concept, while also functioning as a reference point for critique and as a neutral descriptive element. The results suggest a discursive tendency to externalize women’s rights, framing them less as an internal issue and more as a global concern.

Keywords

References

  1. Bednarek, M., & Caple, H. (2019). News discourse. Bloomsbury Academic.
  2. Bock, M. A. (2023). Gender and journalism. Bloomsbury USA.
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  5. Gill, R. (2007). Gender and the media. Polity Press.
  6. Global Media Monitoring Project. (September 4, 2025). GMMP 2025 highlights of findings: Progress on a plateau. https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/gmmp2025-highlights-of-findings_03092025.pdf
  7. Grimm, P. (2014). Gender aus medienethischer Sicht—eine Einführung. In P. Grimm & O. Zöllner (Eds.), Gender im medienethischen Diskurs (pp. 7–18). Franz Steiner Verlag.
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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Language Studies (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 29, 2026

Submission Date

May 3, 2026

Acceptance Date

May 21, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 8 Number: 1

APA
Şen, A. F. (2026). Usage Patterns of the Concept of “Women’s Rights” in the German Press: A Corpus-Based Analysis of the Berliner Zeitung. Alman Dili Ve Kültürü Araştırmaları Dergisi, 8(1), 143-155. https://doi.org/10.55143/alkad.1943187
AMA
1.Şen AF. Usage Patterns of the Concept of “Women’s Rights” in the German Press: A Corpus-Based Analysis of the Berliner Zeitung. Alman Dili ve Kültürü Araştırmaları Dergisi. 2026;8(1):143-155. doi:10.55143/alkad.1943187
Chicago
Şen, A. Fulya. 2026. “Usage Patterns of the Concept of ‘Women’s Rights’ in the German Press: A Corpus-Based Analysis of the Berliner Zeitung”. Alman Dili Ve Kültürü Araştırmaları Dergisi 8 (1): 143-55. https://doi.org/10.55143/alkad.1943187.
EndNote
Şen AF (June 1, 2026) Usage Patterns of the Concept of “Women’s Rights” in the German Press: A Corpus-Based Analysis of the Berliner Zeitung. Alman Dili ve Kültürü Araştırmaları Dergisi 8 1 143–155.
IEEE
[1]A. F. Şen, “Usage Patterns of the Concept of ‘Women’s Rights’ in the German Press: A Corpus-Based Analysis of the Berliner Zeitung”, Alman Dili ve Kültürü Araştırmaları Dergisi, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 143–155, June 2026, doi: 10.55143/alkad.1943187.
ISNAD
Şen, A. Fulya. “Usage Patterns of the Concept of ‘Women’s Rights’ in the German Press: A Corpus-Based Analysis of the Berliner Zeitung”. Alman Dili ve Kültürü Araştırmaları Dergisi 8/1 (June 1, 2026): 143-155. https://doi.org/10.55143/alkad.1943187.
JAMA
1.Şen AF. Usage Patterns of the Concept of “Women’s Rights” in the German Press: A Corpus-Based Analysis of the Berliner Zeitung. Alman Dili ve Kültürü Araştırmaları Dergisi. 2026;8:143–155.
MLA
Şen, A. Fulya. “Usage Patterns of the Concept of ‘Women’s Rights’ in the German Press: A Corpus-Based Analysis of the Berliner Zeitung”. Alman Dili Ve Kültürü Araştırmaları Dergisi, vol. 8, no. 1, June 2026, pp. 143-55, doi:10.55143/alkad.1943187.
Vancouver
1.A. Fulya Şen. Usage Patterns of the Concept of “Women’s Rights” in the German Press: A Corpus-Based Analysis of the Berliner Zeitung. Alman Dili ve Kültürü Araştırmaları Dergisi. 2026 Jun. 1;8(1):143-55. doi:10.55143/alkad.1943187