construct dichotomous societies as it is being used within populist narratives as a paradigm for binarity ( Sauer , 2023 ). In the right-wing populist context , this results in the polarization of different societal groups and between a populist leader and ' the people .' As a marker of inequality , gender can be used to symbolize societal transformation . In the right-wing populist narrative , this construction portrays ' the people ' as unequal , whereas the left-populist strategy depicts them as equal and diverse . ( ibid , p . 59 )
Furthermore , the populist narrative of ' tradition ', which serves as a framework for constructing gender , often functions as a euphemism for whiteness . Gender roles reinforce the ideology of white knowledge and power at the intersection of race and gender by reconstructing and upholding white , hetero-patriarchal narratives as the basis of the ‘ ideal ’ socio-political , economic and cultural order ( Mattheis , 2021 , p . 6 ). Within this logic , tradwives advocate the return of women to ' traditional ' — white — gender roles as a solution to the problems of modernity and as a form of liberation that supports the restoration of a “ white , middle-upper class , heteropatriarchal and often explicitly Christian social structure ” ( ibid , p . 2 ).
Although not all tradwives are explicitly anti-feminist or white nationalist , the idea of tradwifery contains aspects of systemic misogyny and white supremacy ( Proctor , 2023 , p . 21 ). Because tradculture relies on “ whiteness as an epistemological frame ” ( Mattheis , 2021 , p . 3 ), it reproduces white identity and creates an environment where participants with extreme views can subtly promote white supremacy and neofascism through gendered discourse . Consequently , tradwives movement , although primarily advocating for traditional domestic roles , intersects with the right and weaves complex layers of far-right ideology into its influence . This overlap is evident in the way tradwives use social media to disseminate not only lifestyle content but also political propaganda that aligns with far-right narratives ( Sykes & Hopner , 2023 ).
A study by the NGO Media Matters has shown how interacting with tradwife content on platforms like TikTok can lead users down a rabbit hole of far-right conspiracy theories ( Media Matters , 2024 ). The study found that after consuming tradwife videos , TikTok ' s recommendation algorithm began to fill users ' feeds with far-right conspiracy theories , including medical misinformation and content calling for preparations for an upcoming " civil war ." This points to a rising tendency of social media usage where seemingly harmless lifestyle content can serve as a gateway to more extreme political content ( ibid ).
While Media Matters ' study focuses on the algorithmic linkages between tradwives and right-wing populism , their ideological similarities become even clearer when one considers their anti-feminism , anti-elitism and advocacy for a return to conservative , heteronormative values . The gendered performances celebrated by tradwives and the naturalization of gender differences reinforce the populist notion of a return to ‘ order ’ and ‘ tradition ,’ often touted as solutions to societal decay and moral decline .
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