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Published on: February 5, 2014
Representation of Young Non-Binary Characters in Mainstream Fiction
Vítor Blanco-Fernández1, Ṣikemi Akinmade2, María T Soto-Sanfiel3
1Department of Communication, Pompeu Fabra University, Roc Boronat 138, Office 53.914, 08018, Barcelona, Spain. vitor.blanco@upf.edu.
Abstract:
This study characterizes the depiction of young non-binary characters in mainstream fiction. It presents the results of a close-reading analysis of four non-binary characters from different cultural contexts that appeared in Netflix's English-language catalog in November 2023: Cal from Sex Education (UK), Darren from Heartbreak High (Australia), Syd from One Day at a Time (USA), and Yael from Degrassi: Next Class (Canada). The analysis observed aspects of their identity, embodiment, attitude, context, social interactions, and development. The findings reveal patterns that confirm the existence of non-binary stereotypes in the media, as well as divergent features that could be considered manifestations of diversity across Western contexts, thus contributing to a more detailed understanding of the mental models of non-binary individuals that are shared across different cultural contexts.
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