“Yasss queen! towards an intersectional understanding of the social media influencer domain”

Abstract

Researchers have emphasised the importance of enhancing our theoretical understandings about how gender, as an intersectional identity, influences both the content created by social media influencers (SMIs) and consumer engagement. This study addresses this gap by exploring how SMIs shape their influence on social media platforms, whilst navigating both emancipatory and subjugatory forces in their interactions with consumers. Through analysis of SMIs’ content and consumer responses, we interrogate the recurring feminine archetype “Queen”, used to highlight valued representations of femininity as legitimate and privileged. This archetype becomes rooted in social identity frames that foreground varying gendered ideals for women, depending on how these intersect with other social identities such as race, class, and age. We interpret this rootedness through a Caribbean feminist lens, using Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis. The study shows how assessments of SMIs’ potential depend on the complexity of the social identities that frame their content and persona.