This essay argues that the protagonist of Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South (1855), Margaret Hale, is a Byronic heroine. The counter argument that any such comparison is impossible because of her sex is refuted and examples are given of how Margaret is not portrayed like the other young women of the novel. She rejects the female stereotype of the time and it is furthermore proved that she steps out of the passive role considered best suited for a female, and takes on the active one, becoming the heroine of the piece. Finally, traits of Margaret’s character are compared to that of the archetypical Byronic Hero, and it is shown that she shares most of the defining character traits. It is concluded that certain discord in the comparison is needed for the concord to be visible, but rather than being idealized, Margaret is portrayed as a flawed character that rebels against the rules of society for the sake of those she loves. This makes her a Byronic heroine.

This thesis argues that women are increasingly recruited by terrorist organizations because they are perceived as high benefit and low cost perpetrators. Female terrorism is an increasing trend, as it is particularly effective and becoming more effective over time. Its effectiveness results from cross-cultural, deeply imbedded stereotypes of female behavior. Women are seen as nonviolent in the cultures from which female terrorists emerge and in which they perpetrate their attacks, and are therefore given more lenient security measures at security barriers. In addition, security policies reflect these stereotypes, as some only apply to men. The literature on the topic of gender and terrorism often addresses individual motivations for terrorism and misses the practical element of group strategy that is vital to understand in order to effectively defend against the trends of female terrorism. I found that terrorist groups are rational actors and thus choose to deploy women because they are low cost and high benefit. Terrorist groups learn through interactive exchanges with the target population or government and act accordingly. While the goal of gender equality may be used in secular terrorist organizations’ rhetoric, women’s involvement in terrorism does not necessarily equate to western-style feminism or gender equality. I illustrate the racial implications that are upheld and replicated through stereotypes about terrorism. Muslims are portrayed as terrorists to bolster the government’s interest in securing votes for its foreign policy agenda. I argue that stereotypes persist because of the media’s drive for profit as well as the perceived need for narrative fidelity, although this type of reporting benefits terrorist groups and impairs the target state’s security. If understood and addressed properly, this trend of female terrorist lethality can be undermined through policy recommendations. International organizations that adopt these policy recommendations together may effectively reduce female terrorist lethality, terrorism in general, and increase global security.

Esta investigación tiene por objetivo demostrar cómo impacta la retórica visual utilizada en la red social Instagram en la consolidación del estereotipo femenino, entre las mujeres de 18 a 24 años. Así, se planteó como hipótesis que la retórica visual usada en la red social Instagram mediante patrones gráficos y el diseño de persuasión, impacta en la consolidación del estereotipo femenino de las mujeres en Lima. El tipo de investigación es descriptiva, ya que se analizaron diversos aspectos en las cuentas de perfiles de creadoras de contenido limeñas. Además, el diseño de investigación es mixta ya que se emplearon el uso de encuestas a mujeres entre los 18 y 24 años y entrevistas a especialistas en los temas de la investigación. Se halló en los resultados que, en los perfiles de creadoras de contenidos provenientes de Lima, hay patrones que se ven reflejados en los perfiles de las mujeres que las siguen. Se evidenció en las encuestas que Instagram efectivamente es una red social muy usada por las mujeres. Dentro de las entrevistas, las especialistas señalaron que, sí existe una presión por ser como las influencers, y que se promueve mediante ellas los estereotipos femeninos. Finalmente, se pudo demostrar cómo impactan las imágenes consumidas mediante la red social Instagram, y cómo ayudan a formas un estereotipo femenino. Porque, mediante los patrones gráficos y el discurso persuasivo propio del diseño gráfico, se da un mensaje hacia las seguidoras de creadoras de contenido limeñas. / This research aims to demonstrate how the visual rhetoric used in the social network, Instagram affects the consolidation of the female stereotype in women age 18 to 24 years. Therefore, we hypothesized that the visual rhetoric used in this social media platform, through graphic patterns and a persuasion design, impacts the consolidation of the female stereotype of women between the ages of 18 to 24 in the city of Lima. The type of research used is descriptive since we analyzed several aspects of the profile accounts of multiple content creators in Lima. The research design is mixed, which contains quantitative and qualitative characteristics in surveys and also interviews with specialists in these topics. We found that in the profiles of content creators of Lima, there were patterns that are reflected in profiles of other women who follow them. Undoubtedly, it was evident in the polls that Instagram is a social network widely used by women. In the interviews, the specialists pointed out that there is indeed pressure to imitate influencers, which promotes the so-called female stereotypes. Finally, we were able to demonstrate how the images impact this social network and how they contribute to shaping female stereotypes. We also found that the message is delivered to the followers of the content creators of Lima through graphic patterns and persuasive communication of graphic designs. / Trabajo de investigación