The Feminine Face of Occupation: Visual Representation of Gender and Psychosocial Constructions in Israel-Palestine News Photography in The New York Times and the Turkish Press

Abstract

The impact of media visuals on gender perception becomes more salient during times of war and conflict. This study analyzes how women's representations are constructed through ideological, psychological, and cultural codes in four news photographs depicting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Designed as a qualitative research, the study employed document analysis, with a sample consisting of four visuals from The New York Times, TRT News, and Anadolu Agency archives dated 2023. Data were analyzed thematically, and the photographs were interpreted through psychodynamic, sociological, and feminist theoretical lenses. The findings reveal that women are primarily depicted in traumatic and passive positions, whereas Western media representations offer more subjectified and individualized portrayals. In Turkish media, the emphasis on religious and collective identity limits the diversity and agency in women’s visibility.This research reveals that visual representation functions not only as an aesthetic device but also as a psychosocial, political, and ethical tool. It highlights the necessity of portraying women in subjectifying and agentive roles, especially within conflict narratives. By offering a novel framework that makes women’s agency, resilience, and leadership visible, the study provides an original and transformative contribution to the intersection of media studies and gender. Through its interdisciplinary theoretical grounding and critical analytical scope, the study enriches the literature on media ethics, gender discourse, and visual war journalism.

Keywords

• Gender
• Media representation
• Conflict visuals
• Psychodynamic analysis
• Feminist media studies

İşgalin Kadın Yüzü: The New York Times ve Türk Basınında İsrail-Filistin Haber Fotoğraflarında Toplumsal Cinsiyetin Görsel Temsili ve Psikososyal Kurgusu

Abstract

Medya görsellerinin toplumsal cinsiyet algısı üzerindeki etkisi, özellikle savaş ve çatışma dönemlerinde daha görünür hâle gelmektedir. Bu çalışma, İsrail-Filistin çatışmasına ilişkin dört farklı haber fotoğrafı üzerinden kadın temsillerinin ideolojik, psikolojik ve kültürel kodlarla nasıl inşa edildiğini incelemektedir. Nitel desende yapılandırılan araştırmada doküman analizi yöntemi kullanılmış; örneklem olarak The New York Times, TRT Haber ve Anadolu Ajansı arşivlerinden seçilen 2023 yılına ait dört görsel belirlenmiştir. Veriler, tematik analiz yoluyla çözümlenmiş, fotoğraflar psikodinamik, sosyolojik ve feminist kuramlarla değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular, kadın figürünün özellikle travmatik ve edilgen pozisyonlarda temsil edildiğini, Batı medyasında ise daha özneleşmiş rollerle sunulduğunu göstermektedir. Türk medyasında kadının dinsel ve kolektif kimlikle çerçevelenmesi, görünürlük ve temsil çeşitliliğini sınırlamaktadır. Araştırma, görsel temsilin yalnızca estetik değil aynı zamanda psikososyal, politik ve etik bir araç olduğunu ortaya koyarak, çatışma temsillerinde kadınların özneleştirici biçimde sunulması gerektiğine dikkat çekmektedir. Bu yönüyle çalışma, medya ve toplumsal cinsiyet kesişiminde, özellikle kriz anlarında kadınların aktörlük, direnç ve liderlik potansiyellerini görünür kılan yeni bir çerçeve önermektedir. Disiplinler arası kuramsal yaklaşımı ve eleştirel çözümleme yapısı sayesinde, medya etiği, toplumsal cinsiyet çalışmaları ve savaş haberciliği literatürüne özgün ve dönüştürücü bir katkı sağlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Toplumsal cinsiyet
• Medya temsili
• Çatışma görselleri
• Psikodinamik analiz
• Feminist medya çalışmaları

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