Gendered Structural Inequalities through Portrayal of Gender in Films: a Comparative Case-Study of Russia and the UK in the New Millennium

Focusing on gendered structural inequalities, this thesis analyzes the distinctive portrayal of gender in films from two countries with different levels of gender inequality – Russia and the UK. The emphasis on structural violence – therefore, on unequal life chances available to individuals, which imperceptibly create and maintain social inequalities – allows to depart from the common lens of interpersonal violence in the context of gender discrimination studies and to include broader contexts of historic, political, and socio-economic institution of our society to the analysis. The representation analysis demonstrates how films maintain the accepted patriarchal order and legitimate unequal gender positions. Through portrayal of stereotypical gender roles and underrepresentation of women, films, naturalize and reaffirm assigned traits, depicting images of stereotyped gendered standards for behavioral patterns, physical appearances and social order in general.