Gendered Language and Stigma: A Corpus-Based Analysis of ‘Man’ and ‘Woman’ in Albanian Media Discourse

Abstract

This paper examines how the Albanian lexical items burrë (“man”) and grua (“woman”) function in Albanian media discourse as carriers of stigma and gendered meaning. The study forms part of the national research project STI(G)MA: A Comparative Analysis of Stigmatization Patterns in Albanian and English Media Discourse Using Information Technology and Digitalization (2024–2026), supported by AKKSHI/NASRI. Using a purpose-built corpus of opinion articles (2021–2024), the analysis combines frequency profiling, thematic concordance analysis, and collocational tendencies to trace how masculinity and femininity are discursively constructed. The results show a marked asymmetry: burrë is predominantly linked with authority, political leadership, and criminal agency, while grua is tied to victimhood, domestic roles, and moral evaluation. These lexical environments reveal entrenched gender stereotypes and mechanisms of stigmatization that naturalize social hierarchies and normalize inequality. By applying a corpus-assisted discourse analytical approach, the study demonstrates how everyday media language in Albania reinforces gender bias, while also empasizing the importance of critical media literacy and gender-sensitive journalism.