Description
The military’s gendered characteristics are critically discussed in this paper through examining patterns of gendered discourse in Thai military-related news. Specifically, the analysis underscores the significance of Thai military male top brass and the almost invisibility of female presence, despite my initial intention to locate military women. The abundance of news articles about male top brass is apparent, along with the use of language emphasising their powerful status such as the title of Big specifically added in front of male top brass’ nicknames. On the other hand, representations of military women are marginalised, predominantly conforming to conventional female archetypes of the wife: women who embody the ideal figure of the domestic sphere, and the young woman: women who depict characteristics of youth and innocence, whose dream have come true through career opportunities given by the military. The aforementioned gendered discourse and archetypes not only display gender politics specific to Thai culture, but also illuminates the inherent militarisation of women’s lives which renders them the gendered women.
