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Article published In: 10th Anniversary Issue: Engaging with LL futures
Edited by Robert Blackwood and Elana Shohamy
[Linguistic Landscape 10:4] 2024
► pp. 346–369

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Landscaping gender, sexuality, and hope in the 2022 Philippine presidential elections

ORCiD logo with link | University of the Philippines Diliman
Published online: 5 August 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ll.24006.go
Abstract
This paper investigates the Linguistic Landscape (LL) of Leni Robredo’s 2022 presidential campaign rallies in the Philippines and explores the role of gender and sexuality in constructing prefigurative spaces within the offline-online nexus. Through artifacts used during the campaign, the paper examines how Robredo supporters utilize semiotic resources and intertextual references from popular and meme culture as well as LGBTQ+ media to adopt stances vis-à-vis gender and sexuality. The paper suggests that the aggregation of these stances elicit affects that facilitate a prefigurative genderscape where participants enact an ethos of hope. While these practices cannot completely transcend entrenched forms of power (e.g., macho populism and dynastic democracy), they materialize a potential future characterized by a people-driven movement. The paper proposes a future direction for LL studies: engaging prefigurative politics in the examination of the emergent spaces that respond to increasing precarity and sociopolitical upheavals.
Abstrak
Nilalayon ng pananaliksik na ito na siyasatin ang linguistic landscape (LL) ng kampanya ni Leni Robredo para sa pagkapangulo ng Pilipinas noong 2022, at ang papel ng kasarian at sekswalidad sa paglikha ng prefigurative spaces sa ugnayang online-offline. Sa pamamagitan ng mga artepakto mula sa kampanya, susuriin ng pananaliksik na ito kung papaano ginamit ng mga tagasuporta ni Robredo ang mga semiotikong elemento at mga intertekstuwal na batayan mula sa kulturang popular at meme, kabilang na ang LGBTQ+ media sa paghubog ng kanilang pananaw ukol sa usapin ng kasarian at sekswalidad. Iminumungkahi ng pag-aaral na ito na ang kalipunan ng ganitong pananaw ay nakapagpapalutang ng mga damdaming nakapagbubukas at nakahuhubog ng prefigurative genderscape kung saan ang mga kalahok ay nakapagsasakilos ng etos ng pag-asa. Bagama’t ang mga pagsasakilos na ito ay hindi ganap na nakaaalpas sa matatatag nang anyo ng kapangyarihan gaya ng macho populismo at dynastikong demokrasya, nakalilikha naman ang mga ito ng isang larawan ng hinaharap na hinubog ng sama-samang pagkilos. Ipinapanukala ng pananaliksik na ito ang isang direksyon ng pag-aaral ng LL sa hinaharap: ang paggamit ng lente ng prefigurative politics sa pagsisiyasat ng nagsusulputang espasyo na tumutugon sa patuloy na pagbabago at paglala ng mga kalagayang sosyopolitikal.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Genderscapes and prefigurative territories
  • 3.Theoretical framework: Stance and affective practice
  • 4.Data and methods
  • 5.Analysis
    • 5.1Representations of empowered femininity
    • 5.2Remixing of gender and sexual discourses with official campaign slogans
    • 5.3Gender and sexuality vis-à-vis affects
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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