A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW OF FEMALE AUDIENCE RECEPTION OF INDEPENDENT WOMEN IN TELEVISION DRAMAS

Abstract

Television dramas function as powerful ideological apparatuses and socializing agents that shape gender norms. Recently, the “independent woman” archetype has become globally visible, yet female audiences’ interpretations of this figure vary significantly. To understand these diverse readings, this systematic literature review examines female audience reception of the “independent woman” archetype, defined here as female audiences’ interpretations, negotiations, and responses to this representation. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, studies published between 2011 and 2025 were identified from Web of Science and Scopus, screened according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and synthesised thematically. The included studies employed diverse, predominantly qualitative methodological approaches across different research settings. The findings indicate that audiences actively negotiate the meaning of female independence, which shifts between neoliberal ideals of individual achievement and culturally embedded moral values. Four themes emerged: the use of realistic narratives as informal guides for everyday life; the cultural localisation and de-Westernisation of the independent-woman archetype; tensions between empowerment and social expectations; and the reconstruction of identity among diasporic women. The theoretical literature has shifted from binary and individual-level models of gender representation toward intersectional and affect-oriented approaches that recognise the influence of culture, identity, and emotion. Nevertheless, the literature remains disproportionately informed by Western theoretical perspectives and selected cultural contexts. The synthesis suggests that representations of female independence can simultaneously expand women's sense of agency and reproduce neoliberal expectations of individual self-management and productivity. Future research should move beyond assumptions of audience homogeneity by adopting a more granular, micro-level approach that examines sub-national regions and demographic cohorts to identify how regional cultures and generational differences shape interpretations of female independence.