Power devices in monogamy: a discursive analysis of heterosexual relationships on Instagram

Abstract

This article discursively analyzes cisgender and heterosexual monogamy based on posts about the topic on Instagram. The justification for the relevance of this study lies in the perceived gap in linguistic/discursive studies on the subject. Grounded in studies that deny its natural condition, we posit that monogamy is a social and discursive construction to conduct an analysis of social media posts. The analysis employs the Foucauldian framework of discursive analysis (utterance and discursive formation) and identifies discursive formations that underpin monogamy, such as the institution of marriage, dating, exclusivity, romantic love, fidelity, and relational hierarchy. Without aiming to reach definitive conclusions, we seek to shed light on the ways in which the discourse of monogamy on social media performs and reinforces the construction and perpetuation of a power apparatus in the man/woman relationship, with social networks like Instagram serving as the contemporary stage.