O significante “mulher” em disputa no discurso eleitoral: sentidos atribuídos à mulher nos discursos eleitorais de Lula e Bolsonaro em 2022

Abstract

This research aims to analyze and understand the meanings attributed to women in the electoral speeches of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Jair Bolsonaro during the 2022 presidential elections. The political context marked by intense polarization and strong speeches justifies the choice of these political leaders, representatives of opposing ideologies, for an in-depth investigation into the discursive construction around the female figure. In the Bolsonarist discourse, highlighted as extreme right-wing populist, women are centralized as representatives of family and religious values, perpetuating the essentialization of their social role, to the detriment of autonomy and rights agendas. Lulism also adopts a populist stance - but left-leaning - aiming at the unity of the people against anti-democracy. In the Lulist discourse, women are portrayed as part of an inclusive group that embraces minorities, reflecting demands for social inclusion and representativeness. The choice of the Discourse Theory of Laclau and Mouffe as a methodological basis aims to deepen the understanding of these representations, using the digital archive of the Ideology and Discourse Analysis Research Group at the Federal University of Pelotas for the analysis of authentic candidate speeches. The method adopted involves a systematic approach to extract and understand the meanings present in the speeches, using the NVivo software for coding significant elements and recurring nodal points. This research contributes to a broader understanding of the discursive strategies used by Lula and Bolsonaro in the electoral process, especially regarding the representation of women.