Beyond language. The contribution of semiotics to the feminist movement through the study of practices

Starting with the discussion of the central role that feminism has in the contemporary political landscape, this paper argues how semiotics can contribute to the feminist project through the identification, analysis and deconstruction of the deep structures of meaning underlying gender roles (specifically the feminine). Conceiving the feminist movement as a collective political identity embedded in a contest over meaning, the paper proposes an expansion of the semiotic outlook beyond language, encompassing signifying practices and other levels of immanence as well. The argument is illustrated by means of the example of the practices of self-sexualization.