Emancipation discourse in selected modern TV series with female characters in the lead roles: Reflections on social, sexual, and religious oppression

Abstract

Nowadays, TV series are an integral part of media and popular culture. Many of them focus on various forms of violence against women and tell of protection against external oppression. This article focuses on selected modern TV series with female characters in lead roles; it aims to discuss ways of portraying women in TV series produced in the 2010s. The analysis confirms the thesis that TV series reflect the hidden, concealed problems of women, dealing with issues of sexual, domestic, and psychological violence, and religious oppression. The protagonists of these series struggle with and rebel against behavioral norms set by their patriarchal society, family, or religious community. The paper discusses sociocultural changes in showing women characters in TV series, issues of multicultural and religious identity, and the limits of cultural assimilation and integration.