Semester Award Granted
Spring 2025
Submission Date
May 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Aaron S. Veenstra
Abstract
Bangladesh, a South Asian Muslim-majority country, has made substantial progress in women’s empowerment. A key aspect of this visibility is their physical mobility, especially when driving automobiles. Social media platforms have created opportunities for various minority groups to express their identities, often challenging Western media’s broad and demeaning generalizations. A Facebook page called “The Brave Women’s Stories” has been created by some NGOs in which rural women tell their stories and share pictures of their bike riding. Using the maximum variation sampling method, I selected 40 posts that include textual narrative images. Methodologically, I used Catherine Riesman’s (1993) narrative analysis model, Goffman’s (1987), and Van Leeuwen’s (2008) work on representation. My initial observations reveal that women show their feminine sides, focus on family and job in their narratives (taking children to school, commuting for the job), highlight necessity and daily utilities, and stress on community (being encouraged by other bikers).
Recommended Citation
Shimu, Farhin, "THEY CALL THEMSELVES BRAVE WOMEN: AN ANALYSIS OF BANGLADESHI WOMEN BIKERS’ NARRATIVES ON FACEBOOK" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 23.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general/23