The 8284 Case: the Re-Production of Sexist Public Sphere in Eksi Sozluk

Abstract

The difference between the public sphere and private sphere, which constitutes one of the legacy points of the patriarchial discourse, has always been an issue for feminist discourse. Although the increase in women's employment after World War II has imparted the visibility of woman in the public sphere, yet, this did not change the male-oriented character of the publicity. While the private sphere has been approved as the sphere of unimportant intimate relations, the public sphere has been accepted as a sphere where common good is produced. Additionally, the presence of women in the public sphere has been ignored and a phallogocentric language has been established that is envisioned as the common good. This language is formed in two main axes: Woman is defined as the possession of man and the defective existences referred to woman's nature. These two main axes appear practical in the language as possessive and sexist discourse centered on woman's bodies. This study aims to examine the reproduction of the sexist publicty after the participation of 8284 women authors at 8 March 2013 (International Women's Day) in Eksi Sozluk which is a website that can be accepted as having a potential of publicity in the new media. The 403 headlines which are related with this case are discussed with a post-structuralist view.